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EVERY MAN 

HIS 7 OWN DOCTOR 



A Family Medical Adviser; 

CONTAINING KNOWLEDGE THAT WILL 

Promote Health, Cure Disease and Prolong Life, 

WITH 

A COMPLETE INDEX, 

DESCRIBING ALL DISEASES, 

AND TEACHING HOW TO CUBE THEM 

BY THE SIMPLEST MEDICINES. 

ALSO, 

An Analysis of everything relating to Courtship, 

Marriage, and the Production, Management, and 

Hearing of Healthy Families. 

and 

A Chapter on the Preparation op Medicines, giving Prescriptions and 

Valuable Receipts, with a Section Explaining the Botanical 

Practice and the Popular Use of Herbs. 

; 



^sr- fi No... 



NEW YORK: 

Copyright, 1879, by 

G. W. Carleton & Co., Publishers. 

LONDON : S. LOW, SON & CO. 
MDCCCLXXIX. 



. IMS* 



AUTHOE'S PEEFACE. 



Benjamin Franklin, in his pithy style, has said that " an ounce 
of prevention is worth a pound of cure." He was right. The 
great All Wise has created human beings with such noble faculties 
as to be truly but a little lower than the angels. Did the parents 
and guardians of children but realize the immensity of the 
responsibility entailed upon them, they would not lose an instant 
before they acquired such a knowlege of at least the first 
principles of medicine as to be able to judge intelligently of the 
causes leading to disease, and the most rational steps to take to 
arrest its ravages. The purpose of this work is to fully inform 
every woman and man — young and old — what are the real causes 
of sickness, and what are the most approved methods of treatment. 
The work is especially designed as an aid to home or domestic 
treatment in the thousand cases where a physician cannot readily 
be reached, and when, if ordinary common sense is used, his 
services are not required. 

We have never discarded a single item of what we deemed 
useful information, because its author was a disciple of this or 
that particular school of medicine. On the contrary, we have 
acted upon the idea, " By their works ye shall kuow them." 
Wherever any mode of treatment, whether new or old, has been 
found and verified, it is incorporated in this book. 

The writer wishes this work to make an honored mark, from its 
merits, and its intelligent method and arrangement; and, above all, 
from the fact that it comprises all that is valuable in every other 
popular medical guide, added to hundreds of new principles and 
new methods — modes of cure that have been " tried in the fire " of 
every -day practice, and have " never been found wanting." 



CONTENTS. 



PART I. 

GENERAL DISEASES. 

PAGE. 

The Skin. Anatomy and Functions. — Diseases of the Skin 17-51 

The Brain - and Nerves. Anatomy and Functions. — Diseases of the 

Brain and Nerves 52-100 

The Eye. Anatomy and Functions — Diseases of the Eye. ... 101-117 

The Ear Anatomy and Functions. — Diseases of the Ear 118-126 

The Nose. Anatomy and Functions — Diseases of the Nose 127-133 

The Face, Lips. Mouth, Jaws, and Teeth. Anatomy and Functions. 

— Diseases of the Face, etc 134-147 

The Throat and Windpipe. Anatomy and Functions. — Diseases of the 

Throat and Windpipe 148-164 

The Lungs. Anatomy and Functions. — Diseases of the Lungs 165-181 

The Heart. Anatomy and Functions. — Diseases of the Heart 182-192 

The Abdominal Cavity. Anatomy and Functions. — Diseases of the 

Abdominal Cavity 193-235 

The Urinary and Genital Organs. Anatomy and Functions. — 

Diseases of the Urinary and Genital Organs 236-260 

The General System. General Anatomy of the Human Body — Diseases 

of the General System 261-319 

PART II. 

DISEASES OF WOMEN. 

Menstruation. — Physiology and Functions. Diseases of the Menstrual 
Function ; the Womb and its Diseases ; Pregnancy and its Disor- 
ders ; the Breast and its Diseases : Confinement ; Abortion ; Mis- 
carriage 320-359 

PART III. 

CHILDREN AND THEIR DISEASES. 
The Management of New-born Infants. — Diseases of Children 360-394 



4 CONTENTS. 

PART IV. 

ACCIDENTS AND EMERGENCIES. 

PAGE. 

Household Surgery. — Poisons and their Antidotes 395-448 

PART V. 

Hygeine. — Preservation of Health and Guide to Long Life 449-479 

PART VI. 

COMMON QUESTIONS ANSWERED. 

The Toilet. — New and Valuable Discoveries regarding the Preservation 
of Beauty ; Valuable Miscellaneous Information ; Old Age, its Care 
and Diseases ; Observations on Death 480-509 

PART VII. 

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS REGARDING THE YOUTH OF BOTH SEXES. 

The Duty of Parents and Guardians — A Chapter for the Especial 
Perusal of Youths of Understanding, as well as for that of Fathers 
and Guardians ; On the Relations between Man and Wife ; a Chap- 
ter for the Newly Married 510-553 

PART VIII. 
Cookery for the Sick Room 554-556 

PART IX. 

Indications of Disease by Appearance, etc. ; the Temperaments ; Idiosyn- 
crasy ". 557-563 

PART X. 

Medicines. — Their Preparation and Doses; Prescriptions; Receipts.... 563-587 

PART XL 

Botanical Medical Practice 588-598 

For full list of Contents see page 599 — headed " Index." 



INDEX. 



A, PAGE. 

Abdominal cavity, diseases of 203 

Abortion or miscarriage 350 

Abrasion of tbe skin 404 

Abscess in the breast 345 

Abscess 279 

" in tbe ear 126 

Abuse of the marriage previleges 537 

Accidents and emergencies 395 

" how to avoid 439 

Acids, poisoning by 444 

Acute or inflammatory fever 292 

Ague, in termittent fever . . . . 290 

Ague drops, poisoning by 444 

Air, temperature, and ventilation of nur- 
series 369 

Air, fresh, its necessity 467 

" " effects on the sickly 448 

Air cells, enlargement of 177 

Ales, strong beers, etc 483 

Alum root 587 

Alteratives 567 

Amaurosis 113 

Anatomy and functions of the skin 17 

" " nose 127 

" " nerves 57 

" " head and brain 52 

11 " eye 101 

" " ear 118 

" " face 134 

" " throat 148 

" " lungs 172 

" " heart 182 

" " womb 330 

" " abdominal cavity. . . 193 

" " organs of generation 236 

" general of the human body 261 

Anaemia 352 

Aneurism 278 

Angina pectoris 191 

Ankle joint, fracture of 422 

Anodynes 567 

Antimony, poisoning by 444 

Anti-fections or purifying gas 163 

Anti-septics 571 

Anti-spasmodics 572 

Anti-hysteria mixture 572 

Anti-flatulent mixture 574 

Anti-acids or absorbents 567 

Anti-dyspeptic powder 587 

" " pills 587 

" spasmodic tincture 587 

Antroversion of the womb 332 

Antribilious or melancholic temperament . . 262 

Appetite, defective 286 

Apple tea 554 

Aperient draught 571 

Apoplexy , 65 



A. PAGE. 

Apoplexy of the spinal cord 89 

Aquafortis, poisoning by 444 

Archiles, tendo, inj uries to 427 

Arm, to bandage 396 

Arteries, anatomy and functions of 271 

" to stop bleeding 406 

Aromatics 572 

Aromatic stomach pills 572 

" spirit of ether 573 

Arrowroot poultice 584 

" gruel 555 

Artificial nursing 364 

Arsenic, poisoning by 444 

Asiatic cholera 203 

Astringents 573 

Astringent ointment 573 

Asthma 169 

Atrophy 317 

Aura epileptica 77 

B. 

Back ache 307 

Balmony or snake-head 587 

Baking .463 

Baldness 281, 484, 491 

Bandolins 490 

Bandaging, the art of 395 

Bandage, figure 8 397 

Bandy legs 408 

Barber's itch 21 

Barberry 587 

Barrenness 355 

Bathing of infants 371 

Baths, when and how to take them 476 

" warm 476 

" vapor 477 

" sulphur and fumigating 477 

" cold 430 

Bayberry 587 

Bedding, to disinfect 45 

Bed sores 280 

Bed and bedding for the sick 495 

Beef tea 555 

Besetting sins of early life 451 

Bethroot 587 

Betony 588 

Bilious headache 80 

" cholera 206 

" colic 209 

" fever 291 

" or choleric temperament 5C1 

Bitter root or dog's bane 587 

Bites and stings 429 

Bites from insects 430 

Black cohosh 587 

Bladder, anatomy of 237 

" bleedingfrom 240 

" inflammation of 243 



6 



INDEX. 



B. PAGE. 

Bladder, irritation of 244 

Blear eye Ill 

Bleeding from the nose 129 

" " lungs 171 

" " wounds 406 

" " arteries 406 

Blindness Ill 

Blood, to distinguish from the stomach or 

from the lungs 172 

Bloody urine 240 

Blood, the 276 

Blow or fall, stunning from 403 

Blue copperas, poisoning by 445 

' L verdititor " 445 

Bodily habits, to counteract 472 

Bones, the structure and anatomy of 261 

Bones, ulceration of 316 

Boneset or thorough wort 588 

Bowels, inflammation of 226 

Brain, anatomy of 55 

" peculiarities of, in animals 57 

" diseases of. . : 65 

" fever 69 

Breathing in one's face 482 

Bread and water poult ice 583 

Bread of life 589 

Breast, anatomy of 343 

" care of, during pregnancy 340 

" disease of 343 

" inflammation of 373 

Brow ache, or ague 83 

Bronchitis 152 

Brown bread, its properties 456 

Brown and moth spots, to remove 492 

Bruises 401 

Burns and scalds 599 

Butter of antimony, poisoning by 444 

Bugle weed or water-hoarhound 588 

Burdock 588 

Butternut, or white walnut 588 

C. 

Calamine cerate 574 

Calomel, poisoning by 446 

Camphor pills 569 

Camomiles 588 

" pills 583 

Cancer 281 

" of the womb 338 

Canada snake-root 583 

Candy, its effects on the teeth 484 

" how colored 499 

Canker of the mouth 142 

" compound for 588 

Carminatives 574 

Care of the skin 473 

Caries 317 

Carditis 188 

Catalepsy 68 

Cataract 112 

Catarrh 130 

' chronic 131 

Catamenia 321 

Cathartics, aperients, etc 570 

" pills 570 

Cayenne pills 588 

Cerates 570 

Cessation of the menses 527 

Chapped lips 142 

Charcoal poultice 583 

Cheese, how to eat 482 

Childbirth 347 

Childbed fever 557 

Children and their diseases 560 

" colic : 380 

" constipation 381 



C. PAGE. 

Children, convulsions 393 

" croup 387 

" crowing 390 

" difficulty in voiding urine 374 

" diabetes .... 377 

" diarrhoea 382 

" erysipelas 378 

" falling of the fundament 394 

" fits 393 

" whooping cough 391 

" inflammation of the navel 373 

" incontinence of urine 375 

" inflammation of tae breasts 372 

" jaundice 373 

" retention of urine 374 

«' sore eyes 386 

" snuffles, or cold in the head 391 

" suppression of urine 374 

" summer complaint 384 

" spasm of the glottis 390 

" spasms 393 

" teething 376 

" thrush 378 

" tongue tie 560 

• ' ulceration of the mouth 379 

" vomiting 382 

" worms 336 

" chicken pox 21 

Chilblains 22 

" liniment 581 

Childcrowing 390 

Chicken pox, to distinguish from small pox 22 

Chicken tea 555 

Chloride of tin. poisoning bv 445 

Choking 405 

Cholera, diarrhoea, and dysentery powder. . 588 
" " " decoct, for.. 589 

Chorlee 250 

Cholera, Asiatic 203 

" morbus 206 

" bilious 206 

" infantum 384 

Chronic soreness of the throat 161 

Chorea 93 

Clergyman's sore throat 157 

Climate for the scrofulous and consumptive 473 

Clothing, to disinfect 45 

" philosophy of 431 

Cloudy, thick, or dark colored urine 240 

Clysters 575 

" laxative 575 

Coarse food, uses of 460 

Cod liver oil 495 

" to make tasteless 505 

Coffee 461- 

Cold water lotion 582 

" stupor from, to restore 403 

Colds, how to avoid and cure 502 

Collar bone, dislocation of 410 

" fracture of 421 

Colic 589, 207 

Complexion, varieties and causes of. 18 

" to improve 491 

Composition of man 502 

" powder 589 

Comfrer 589 

Compound cerate of lead 574 

" fractures 426 

Common ointment 582 

" questions answered 480 

Concussion of the brain 69 

" " spine 89 

Confinement 347 

Congestion 69 

Congestive headache 82 



INDEX. 



C. PAGE. 

Convulsions 71 

Consumption 174 

" powder for 589 

Constipation, costiveness 210 

during pregnancy 341 

" to avoid 473 

Constipating food 481 

Condyles, facture of 420 

Conserve stimulating, or bread of life 589 

Contused wounds 433 

Condiments, use and abuse of 461 

Cooking, methods of 461 

Cookery for the sick room 554 

Corns 50 

Cornea, ulceration of 114 

Corpulence, to avoid 282 

Copper, poisoning by 445 

Copperas, " 448 

Cough 172, 505 

" ofoldpeople 173 

" during pregnancy 342 

Corrosive sublimate, poisoning by 445 

Courtship 510 

" dangers attending 519 

" husband, how to select 520 

" lovers' conversation 531 

" " caresses 532 

" precautions to be observed 529 

" qualities, to be desired in a hus- 
band 518 

" " necessary in a wife 530 

" qualifications necessary for mar- 
riage 522 

" truths to be heeded 528 

Countenance, as indicating disease 557 

Cupping 436 

Curling the hair 489 

Cuts 407 

" from the flesh 408 

Cutthroat 404 

Cracked lips 142 

Cramp 284 

" in the stomach 212, 590 

Crane's bill, or Crow foot 587 

Croup 387, 590 

Crushes and jams 436 

Crusted Tetter 49 

Cyanide of potassium, poisoning by 447 

Cough drops or syrup 589 

" pills 589 

" powders 589 

Curative powders 589 

D. 

Dandruff 487 

Deafness 121 

Death 508 

Debility 286 

Decoction 565 

" for inflammation of stomach .. . 593 

" " bowels 594 

" " kidneys.... 594 

" " liver 594 

" " lungs...... 594 

" for indigestion 586 

Defective appetite 286 

Deformity of the spine ....****....'. 430 

Delayed menstruation 323 

Delirium tremens 74 

Dementia 91 

Demulcents 575 

Despair, effects of 470 

Diabetes 240, 590 

" of children 377 

Diarrhoea 212 

" of children 383 



D. PAGE. 

Diaphoretics 576 

Diet 452 

" during pregnancy 336 

" for various diseases and occupations. . 472 

Die tic errors of infancy 449 

" " mature life 449 

Digestion, process of 452 

Digestibility of the various articles of food. 456 

Difficulty in voiding the urine 374 

Diluents 378 

Dilation of the heart 186 

Disease of the valves of the heart 187 

" how to avoid 473 

Diseases of woman 320 

" of the menstrual function 333 

Disinfecting fluids, poisoning by 447 

Diptheria 154 

Dislocations 410 

" of the lower jaw 410 

" end of the collar bone 410 

" shoulder 411 

" backwards 414 

" downwards and inwards 414 

" elbow joint 411 

" fingers and toes 412 

" hip joint 413 

" foot at ankle joint 415 

" of the knee pan 415 

" upwards and inwards 415 

" wrist joint 413 

Diuretics 576 

" pills 578 

" powder 590 

" syrup 590 

Discolored skin 23 

Dizziness 73 

Draught for uterine and other bleedings. . . 573 

" flatulency and indigestion 574 

" influenza 576 

" stimulating 578 

" for palpitation of the heart 572 

" hysterics and windy colic 572 

Dropsy of the heart 187 

Dress of new born infants 363 

Dress and exercise during pregnancy 336 

Dropsy 285 

Drowning, apparent death from 401 

Drinking at meals 485 

Dropsy pills , . . . 578 

Duration of pregnancy 336 

Duty of parents and guardians 510 

" unhappy tendencies to be watched. .. 511 

" dangers attending the maiden 512 

" secret habits of youth 512 

" responsibility of parents 513 

" care of young girls 514 

" early development of girls 515 

" influence of the family circle 524 

Dyspeptic headache 81 

Dysentry 215 

Dyspepsia 220 

Dry wines 483 

Dock ointment 590 

Dropsy, decoction and powder for 590 

E. 

Ear, anatomy and functions 118 

" diseases of 121 

Earache 121 

Early life, sins of 451 

" rising 446 

" training of children . 526 

Eating, proper seasons for 464 

" common errors regarding 464 

Elbow joint, anatomy of 412 

" dislocation of 411 



8 



INDEX. 



E. PAGE. 

Electuary for scurvy 571 

Elder flower ointment 582 

Elm poultice 590 

Egyptian ophthalmia „. ., 100 

Emaciation . 317 

Embrocations 579 

Emetics 579 

Emeti? powder 590 

Emmenagogues 581 

Emmengogue pills 581 

Employment of nurses 365 

Enlargement of the uvula ...155 

Endrocarditis 189 

Epilepsy 176 

Eruptive diseases of the scalp 38 

Erysipelas 25 

" of infants 378 

" decoction for 590 

Exercise and fresh air 473 

" of infants 367 

Exhaustion 287 

Expectoration 560 

Expectorants 581 

Excess of menstruation, remedy for 591 

Eye, anatomy and functions 101 

" diseases of 106 

" filmson 114 

" as indicating disease 116 

" care of 117 

" to bandage 398 

E. 

Face ague 94 

" anatomy of 134 

Faeces, excrements 558 

Fainting 79 

Falling sickness 76 

" of the womb 330 

" " fundament 394 

False pregnancy 343 

Fat 463 

Fathers, important hints to 523 

Farcy 301 

Fatty food 495 

Felons, new and prompt cure 505 

Fermented bread 456 

Fevers 288 

" remedy for 591 

" tonic decoction for after 592 

Fever and ague 288 

" bilious or remittent 291 

" intermittent 288 

" inflammatory or acute 292 

" nervous or slow 294 

" simple continued 295 

" typhus 295 

" typhoid 297 

" yellow 297 

Females, cordial for 591 

" corrective pills 591 

" corrective powders 591 

" restorative " 591 

" " strengthening syrup . . 591 

Finger, to bandage 397 

" nails, care of 409 

" dislocation of 412 

Fistula 443 

Fits 71, 393 

Flax 5 2 

" seed tea 555 

" emulsion of . . . . 532 

Flesh worms 491 

" thorns in 435 

Flooding 332 

Foetid breath 288 

Food, necessary for infants 364 



F. PAGE. 

Food cooked in foul vessels, poisoning by.. 444 

" quantity necessary 432, 463 

" objectionable articles of 454 

" digestibility of various articles of 456 

" nutriciousness " " .... 459 

" for consumptives 505 

" for an infant 556 

' ' precautions to be observed 472 

Foot, dislocation of 415 

Foreign bodies in the eye 427 

" " ear 123 

" " " nose 132 

Fox glove mixture 570 

Fractures 416 

" of the condyles 420 

" " collarbone 421 

" " bones of the hand and 

finger 417 

« « finger 417 

" " humerus 418 

" " fore-arm 417 

" " knee pan 423 

" " lower jaw 422 

" " leg, between the knee and 

ankle joint 422 

" " neck of the humerus 420 

" " pelvis 425 

" " skuU 417 

" " shoulder blade 420 

" " ribs 421 

" " thigh 424 

Freckles, to remove 23 

Fresh air 466 

" bread 485 

Frost bite 405 

Frying 463 

Fumitory 592 

G. 

Gallbladder 199 

" stones 225 

Gambling 535 

Gangrene 299 

Gargle for putrid sore throat 571 

Gas, purifying and antifectious 163 

Gastritis 224 

Genital organs, anatomy of 236 

" " diseases of 240 

General system, diseases of 278 

Generation, organs of 338 

" phenomena of 321 

Ginger, syrup of 592 

Girls, management of 514 

" dangers attending 516 

" diseases peculiar to 518 

Glands, anatomy and uses of 276 

Glanders 301 

Glandular swellings. 300 

Glottis 149 

" spasm of 390 

Glycerine washes for the hair 488 

Golden seal 592 

Gonorrhoea 248, 592 

Goulard water 582 

Gout 301 

Gravel 241, 592 

Green sickness 524 

Grey hair 319 

Ground rice. 556 

Green vitriol, poisoning by 445, 448 

Guardians, important hints to 523 

Guide to long life 449 

Gum boil 147 

Gunshot wounds 434 

H. 
Hair, the 487 



INDEX. 



9 



H. PAGE. 

Hair brushes 490 

" careof 287 

" preparations 487 

" wash 487 

" weakness 318 

" as indicating character 491 

Hanging, apparent death from 401 

Hartshorn and oil linim mt 581 

Hay asthma 178 

Head, anatomy of 52 

" diseases of 65 

" tobandage 398 

Headaches 80 

bilious or sick 80 

" congestive 82 

" dyspeptic or sympathetic 81 

" organic 83 

" periodic 83 

" rheumatic 83 

" snuff . 592 

Healing salve 592 

" cleansing salve 592 

" softening " 593 

" drawing plaster 593 

Health, rules for preserving 471 

" highest condition of, how to obtain 474 

Heart, anatomy of 182 

" diseases of 185 

" displacement of 187 

Heartburn 223 

" of pregnancy 342 

Hemlock tree 593 

Henbane pills 569 

" draught 569 

Hepatic or liver pills 593 

Hernia 442 

Hiccup 85 

Hints on reading and thinking 475 

Hip joint, dislocation of 412 

" disease 302 

Hoarseness 156 

Hooping cough 391 

Hospital gangrene 300 

Houses, rooms, etc. , to fumigate 46 

Household surgery 395 

Humid tetter 48 

Humerus, fracture of 418 

Hunger, apparent death from 404 

Hydrophobia 85 

Hygeine r . . . . 449 

Hypochondria 88 

Hysterics 355 

Hysteria or hypochondriac pills 593 

Idiosyncracy 562 

Illicit indulgence 535 

Imperforate hymen 324 

Imperfect sight 113 

Incontinency of urine 244 

" " in pregnancy 342 

Incubus.... 306 

Incised wounds 331 

Indigestion 220 

" tome draught for 593 

Indications of longgevity 498 

" " disease 557 

Indian meal gruel 556 

" pills 593 

Indolence, effects on health * 467 

Inflammation of the heart 188 

" - " liver 223 

" " bladder 243 

" " bones 226 

" " kidneys 242 

" " peritoneum 227 



I. PAGE. 

Inflammation of the spleen 224 

" " stomach 224 

" " ovaries 332 

" " breast 344 

" " " of infants 373 

" " brain 69 

" . " eye 107 

" " edge of the eyelids.... 112 

" " ear 124 

" " larynx 156 

" " lungs 178 

" " navel 373 

" " iris 110 

" " pleura 179 

" " pericardium 188 

" " pharynx 157 

" " tonsils 157 

" " tongue 144 

Inflamed nose 132 

Inflammatory blush 29 

Infantile erysipelas 28 

Infants, urinal difficulties of 374 

Infancy , errors of 449 

Infants, care and management of 364 

Ingrowing nails 409 

Injection powder 594 

Inj uries, em brocation for = 579 

Injections for whites 573 

Infusions 566 

Influenza 158 

Infidelity in the marital relation 534 

Infusion for dropsy 578 

Insanity 90 

In testines, anatomy of 200 

Intermittent fever 290 

Intemperance 533 

Intoxication 303, 534 

Iris, the 110 

Iron, poisoning by 448 

Irritation of the skin 31 

" " spine 90 

" " bladder 243 

Irritability of temper 469 

" " the bladder, clyster for 575 

Issues 438 

Itch 30 

" wash for 594 

Itching of the private parts 342 

J. 

Jams and crushes 135 

Jaundice 228 

" of children 373 

Jaws, anatomy of 135 

Jaw, fracture of 422 

Jealousy 546 

K. 

King's evil 310 

Kidneys, anatomy of 236 

" inflammation of 242 

Knee pan, fracture of 423 

" dislocation of 415 

L. 

Lacerated wounds 432 

Lager bier 483 

Late hours 465 

" suppers 486 

Laudanum, poisoning by 446 

Laurel water, poisoning by 447 

Laughter 498 

Larynx, the 148 

Laxitive food 481 

" mixture 57G 

Lead, poisoning by 445 

" lotion 582 

Leanness, to avoid 472 



10 



INDEX. 



L. PAGE. 

Leeches, to apply 437 

Leg, to bandage 395 

" fracture of 422 

Leprosy 303 

Leucorrhcea 334 

" to distinguish from gonorrhoea 334 

Lettuce mixture , 570 

Lichen 35 

Lice 304 

Lightning, apparent death from 402 

Lime water 582 

Liniments 581 

" for gathered breasts 594 

" of camphor 594 

" lor cramp, etc 594 

" of hartshorn 594 

" stimulating 595 

Linseed meal poultice 583 

Lips, anatomy of 134 

Liquids 461 

Liver, anatomy of 195 

" inflammation of 233 

Lobelia acid, tincture of 595 

" " pills 595 

Lockjaw 93 

Loose teeth 145 

" motions 560 

Lotions 582 

Love, analysis of 510 

" animal or false 511 

Long life, guide to 499 

Low spirits 306 

Lumbago 364 

" embrocation for 374 

Lungs, anatomy of 165 

" diseases of 169 

" bleeding from 171 

" inflammation 178 

Lunar caustic, poisoning by 446 

Lymphatics 223 

" evacuations 559 

M. 

Malignant measles 33 

Male organs of generation 239 

Malt liquors 461 

Mania 91 

" puerperal 358 

Management during pregnancy 338 

4 ' of new born infants 3C0 

Man and wife, their conjugal relations 536 

" " abuse of the husband's 

privileges 537 

" " accomplishments 546 

" " attractive homes 539 

" " conduct of a wife towards 

friends 540 

" " cultivating each other's so- 
ciety 547 

" " demeanor toward a young 

wife „. 536 

" " economy in the new rela- 
tions 538 

" " excessive indulgence 536 

" " harmonizing the different 

dispositions 345 

" " jealousy 540 

" " making the marriage state 

a joy forever 543 

" " responsibility of expectant 

parents 551 

" unmentionable crimes 537 

" " wife's duties 545 

Marriage, qualifications necessary 522 

" physiology of 510 

Mastication 482 



M. PAGE. 

Masturbation 246, 527 

Measles 32 

" to distinguish from small-pox 40 

Meat, how to cook 463 

Meconium 362 

Medicines, their preparations 365 

" how to administer 14 

Medicated poultice 584 

Melancholy 470 

" and despondency during preg- 
nancy 342 

Menstruation, physiology of 320 

" diseasesof 333 

" decoction for 595 

Menstrual peculiarities 482 

Mercury, poisoning by 446 

Metal workers 99 

Milk sickness 229 

" fever 346 

" leg 358 

" asfood 461, .501 

" as causing pain 480 

Mineral green, poisoning by 445 

Mixture to quiet the nervous system 569 

" for influenza, cough, etc 570 

" " painter's colic 571 

" " convulsive cough 572 

" " nervous diseases 585 

« « general weakness 585 

" " weak stomach and nervous 

headache 586 

Miscarriage and abortion 350 

Moles, to remove 24 

Moonlight, its effects on health 480 

Mother, influence on the unborn infant 551 

Morphia, pills of 569 

Morbid excitement 471 

Moral insanity 91 

Mortification 299 

Morbid longings during pregnancy 339 

Moral influences " " 340 

Morning sickness " " 341 

Mother marks 24 

Mouth, anatomy of 135 

" sore 142 

Mucous evacuations 559 

Mumps 159 

Muscles, the 266 

Muriatic acid, poisoning by 444 

Mustard liniment 581 

" poultice 583 

Mutton broth 555 

N. 

Nails, the care of 409 

Narcotic poisons , 73 

Nausea 230 

Navel, inflammation of 373 

Natural motions 559 

Neck, the 127 

Nerves, anatomy of 51 

" diseasesof 65 

Nervousness 94 

Nervous temperament 462 

" or slow fever 294 

Nervine pills 593 

Nettle rash 34 

Neuralgia of the head 83 

" " face 94 

" " heart .* 191 

New-born infants, management of 168 

" " to determine if born dead 168 

Nightmare 306 

Night air 481 

Nitrate of silver, poisoning by 446 

Nitrieacid, " " 444 



INDEX. 



11 



N. PAGE. 

Noctural emissions 248 

Nose, anatomy of 127 

Noises in the head 124 

Noxious vapors, apparent death from 403 

Nursing 364 

Nurses, employment of 365 

Nutritive clysters 575 

Nutriciousness of different articles of food.. 461 

Nux vomica, poisoning' by 448 

O. 

Oatmeal gruel 581 

Objectional articles of food 454 

Observations regarding the youth of both 

sexes 510 

Obstructed menstruation 323 

Oesophagus 152 

Offensive breath 144 

Oil of bitter almonds, poisoning by 447 

" vitriol " 444 

" glands 21 

Oils as condiments 461 

Ointments 582 

Ointment, anti-venereal 597 

Old people's cough 173 

" age, its care and diseases 506 

" " meals and sleep for 506 

" " medical treatment for 507 

Onanism 246 

Opium 446 

Opodeldoc liniment 581 

Opthalmia 107 

" purulent 101 

Organic headache 83 

Out-door exercise before breakfast 486 

Ovaries, functions of 321, 330 

" inflammation of 332 

Overshoes 480 

Oxalic acid, poisoning by 444 

P. 

Painful menstruation 326 

Painters' colic 208 

Pains in the back . . , 307 

" " side 307 

Palpitation of the heart 187 

" " decoction for 595 

Palsy 98 

Pancreas 203 

Papulous scall 49 

Paralysis 98 

Paragoric, poisoning by 446 

Parturition 347 

Passions, the 469 

" how to regulate 475 

Peculiarities of the menstrual function. . . . 320 

Pelvis, the 425 

Periodic headache 83 

Peritoneum, the 227 

Personal sensuality 450 

" beauty 487 

Perspiration glands 18 

Peruvian balsam ointment 582 

Phthisis 174 

Pharynx, the 152 

Phlegmatic or pituous temperament 586 

Phosphorous, poisoning by 447 

Pickles 461 

" poisoning by 445 

Pies and cakes 483 

Pimples, to remove 491 

Piles 230 

" decoction for 595 

" ointment " 595 

Pills 566 

" for long continued cough 569 

" fordyspepsia - 586 



P. PAGE. 

Pills, anti-venereal 596 

Plants in sleeping rooms 483 

" and seeds, poisoning by 447 

Pleurisy 178 

" root 595 

Pneumonia. 178 

Poisons and their antidotes 443 

Poison vine 447 

Polypus in the ear 125 

" " nose 133 

" " womb 333 

Pomatums 488 

Poplar 595 

Popular errors regarding eating 464 

Potash 447 

Poultices 533 

" for external inflammation 596 

" stimulating 596 

Powders 567 

Powder for wind and spasms 573 

" anti-venereal 596 

Practical rules for promoting health 471 

Premature birth 557 

Preservation of health 449, 475 

Pregnancy 336 

Preservation of the brain and nervous sys- 
tem 475 

Prickly ash 596 

" heat 35 

Private parts, itching of 359 

Profuse menstruation 327 

Prolapsus uteri 330 

Proper time for rest 465 

Proportional doses 14 

Proud flesh 409 

Prussic acid, poisoning by 447 

Puerperal fever 557 

" convulsions 358 

" mania 358 

" nervousness 358 

Pulse, the 500 

Punctured wounds 433 

Purifying gas 163 

Purulent ophthalmia 109 

Putrid sore throat 162 

Q. 

Quantity of food necessary 463 

Oueen of the meadow, or gravel root 596 

Quinsy : 1G0 

" decoction for 596 

R. 

Rabies 85 

Rashes 36 

Rat poison, poisoning by 444 

Rattleweed 588 

Red lead, poisoning by 445 

" precipitate, " 446 

" " ointment 5S2 

" raspberry 596 . 

Remittent fever 291 

Restlessness at night - 342 

Retention of urine 374 

Retroversion of the womb 332 

Rheumatism 307 

Rheumatic headache 83 

" liniment 596 

Ribs, to bandage 398 

" fracture of 421 

Ringworm 36 

Rose rash 36 

Running 1 from the ear v 125 

Rupture 442 

S. 

Sago gruel 556 

Salt cake, poisoning by 447 



12 



INDEX. 



S. PAGE. 

Salt and water poultice 583 

Sal volatile, poisoning by 447 

Sanguine temperament 262 

Sauces 461 

Scarlet fever, scarletina 38 

" anginosa 39 

" fever, to distinguish from measles.. 40 

Sciatica 309 

Scrofula 310 

' ' purifying decoction for 595 

Scrofulous ophthalmia 109 

Scurvy 313 

Sea sickness 231 

Seal root or drop berry 597 

Sebacious glands 19 

Secret habits of youth 512 

Sedentary females, diseases of 30 

Self-abuse 255 

" effects in the marital relation. . . 528 

Sensuality 446 

Shoulder, dislocation of 411 

" blade, fracture of 420 

Shale's green, poisoning by 444 

Shrinking of the heart 186 

Sick headache 80 

Signs of pregnancy 337 

Simple continued fever 295 

Sins of early life 451 

Sitting on stone or marble in sum er 484 

Skin, anatomy of 17 

" diseases 23, 51 

Skull, structure of 71 

" facture of 416 

Skullcap or hoodwort 597 

Skunk cabbage 597 

Sleeping apartments 465 

" north or south 485 

Sleep, amount necessary 466 

Slippery elm 597 

Small-pox 42, 47 

" to distingush from chicken pox. 22 

" to control and arrest 45 

Smoking 464 

Snuffles or cold in the head 390 

Snuff taking 464 

Soapwort or bouncing bet 597 

Soda, poisoning by 447 

Soft corns 51 

Soothing syrup, poisoning by 446 

" and softening poultice 595 

Solomon's seal 597 

Sore mouth 144 

" tongue 147 

" eyes 386 

" nipples 345 

Spasmodic powder 597 

Spasms 395 

Spasm in the stomach 212 

• Spermal debility, pills for 585 

Spermaceti ointment 582 

Spinal weakness and deformity 430 

Spirit of mindererus 576 

" lotion 582 

Spiced bitters 597 

Spinal column, structure of 58 

" cord, diseases of 89 

Spirits of salts, poisoning by 444 

Spitting of blood, pills for 597 

Spleen, the 200 

Spunginess of the gums 147 

Sprained ankle,*fco bandage 397 

" wrist, " 397 

Sprains and strains 428 

" " bruises, embrocation for 579 

Squinting 114 



S. PAGE. 

St. Anthony's fire 25 

Stabs 408 

Starch bandage 399 

Stiff neck 160 

Stiffness in the joints 314 

Stitch in the side 181 

Stomach, anatomy and functions of 194 

" bitters 598 

Stomachics 586 

Stoppage of urine, clyster for 575 

Strangling, apparent death from 401 

Strengthening jelly 556 

" plaster 598 

Strong tea 461 

Strumous ophthalmia 109 

Strychnine, poisoning by 447 

Stupor, clyster for ' 575 

St. Vitus''dance 96 

Styes 114 

Sudden accidents and emergencies 406 

Sudorific powder 598 

Suppression of urine 245, 374 

Suppressed menstruation 324 

Sunburn 23 

Superfluous flesh, to remove 472 

Sugar of lead, poisoning by 445 

Sugar 461 

Sulphate of iron, poisoning by 445 

Sulphuric acid, " 444 

Summer complaint 384 

Sutures 442 

Sweat glands, disorders of 24 

Swelling of the uvula 155 

Sympathetic headache 81 

Syncope 79 

Syphilis 256 

Syrup of popies, poisoning by 446 

" anti-venereal 596 

T. 

Tapioca 476 

Tartar emetic ointment 582 

" " poisoning by 444 

T. bandage 398 

Tea, influence of on health 461 

Teeth, anatomy of 136 

" to draw 438 

" careof 146, 443 

Teething 376 

Temperature 473 

Temperaments, the 561 

Tetter 48 

Tetanus 93 

Thickened milk 554 

Thigh, broken 424 

Thorns in the flesh 435 

Throat, anatomy of 148 

" diseases 152 

Thrush 160,378 

Tinctures 565 

Tincture for weakness and flatulency 586 

" of balsam of Canada 598 

" " burdock compound 598 

" " guiacum or sassafras 598 

" " ginger compound 598 

Toast water 554 

Tobacco, properties of 464 

Toilet, the 487 

Toe nails, care of 409 

Tongue, anatomy of 140 

tie 372 

" as indicating disease 558 

Toothache 145 

bush 596 

Tooth rash 36 

Tonics 584 



INDEX. 



13 



T. PAGE. 

Tonic pills in fevers 586 

Tom tLesh 407 

Tonsils, the 152 

True love 587 

Trance 68 

Typhus fever 295 

Typhoid fever 297 

TJ. 

Ulceration of the cornea 114 

" " nose 131 

" " bones 316 

" " neck of the womb 332 

" " mouth 379 

Ulcerated sore throat 162 

Ulcers 315 

Urinal organs, anatomy of 236 

" " diseases of 240 

Urine, the 474 

Unicorn root or devil's bit 598 

Use and abuse of the generative functions. 528 

Uterine hemorrhage 332 

Uvula relaxed 161 

V. 

Vaccination 44, 437 

Varicose veins 342 

Valuable miscellaneous information 495 

Veins, anatomy of 527 

Vegetables as diet 456 

Ventricles, enlargement of 189 

Verdigris, poisoning by 445 

Vermilion, " " 446 

Vertebrse, the 60 

Vigor and activity of body, want of 471 

Vices of children 527 

Vomiting 232, 582 

W. 

"Warts and corns 49 

Wasting 317 

Washing and dressing of infants 363 

" the feet 494 

Water brash 233 

Water closets and stables, to disinfect 46 

" drinkers, health of 461 

Watery eye 115 



. "W". PAGE. 

Wax m the ear 126 

Weakness of the eyes 115 

" " hair.. 318 

Weak chests and lungs, to strengthen 517 

" and pale, mixture for 579 

Weather, influ.ei.ice on health 484 

AVeaning 370 

Wens 441 

Wheat balls 555 

Whites 334 

Whitlows 442 

White leg 358 

" lead, poisoning by 444 

" pond lily or cow cabbage 593 

" swelling 317 

" walnut 588 

Wild ginger, or colt's foot 588 

Wind in the intestines, pills for 574 

" colic 208 

Windpipe, diseases of 152 

Wine whey 554 

" bitters 598 

Wives, important hints to 540 

Womb, anatomy of 330 

" diseases of 333 

Women, diseases of 320 

Woolens, their use 481 

Worms 233, 386 

Worm syrup 598 

Wounds 431 

" to bandage 396 

Wrist joint, dislocation of 413 

Weights and measures 17 

Y. 

Veast poultice 583 

Yellow fever 297 

" basilicon ointment 582 

" puccoon 592 

" wood 596 

Youths of understanding, important advice 

to 523 

Youthful sensuality 525 

Z. 

Zinc oxide, poisoning by 448 

" lotion 582 



"Weights and Measures, etc. 



APOTHECARY'S WEIGHT. 

20 grains = 1 scruple = 20 grains. 

60 grains = 1 drachm = 3 scruples. 

480 grains = 1 ounce = 8 drachms. 

5,760 grains = 1 pound = 12 ounces. 

The scruple and drachm are discarded in the new weights. Measures of 
capacity are used for liquids in mixing medicines. Formerly wine measure was 
employed, but now it is the imperial. The weight of the imperial minim of water 
is 91 grains, and is multiplied as follows : 

60 minims = 1 fluid drachm = 60 minims. 

480 minims = 1 fluid ounce = 8 fluid drachms. 

9,600 minims = 1 pint = 20 fluid ounces. 

76,800 minims = 1 gallon = 8 pints. 

The fluid ounce is the measure of one ounce of water ; the pint, 1| lb. ; and 
the gallon, 10 lb. In prescriptions the weights and measures are generally ex- 
pressed by signs or symbols, with Latin numerals affixed. These signs, with the 
Latin and English words which stand for them, are given below : 
m Minim, - 6 L th part of a fluid drachm. 
3j Scrupulus, a scruple. 
3 j Drachma, a drachm, 
f 3 j Fluid drachma, a measured drachm. 
§ j Uncia, an ounce (437.5 grains). 
f j j Fluid uncia, a measured ounce. 
5>j Libra, a pound (7,000 grains). 
Oj Octarius, a pint, 
gr Granum, a grain. 

SS Semis, half, affixed to any of the above signs. 
The numerals j., i.j, iij., iv., v., etc., show the number of grains, ounces, pounds, 
etc., to be taken; thus, mix. denotes 60 minims, 3 vii. 7 drachms, and |j. 1 
ounce. 

ON ADMINISTERING MEDICINES. 

In prescribing or administrating medicines, the following circumstances are 
always kept in view by medical men, and are of the utmost importance, viz., Age, 
Sex, Temperament, Habit, Climate, amd Condition of the Stomach. 

Age. — See the table of proportionate doses given on the following page ; 
remembering that all medicines containing opium affect children more powerfully 
than adults. 

Sex. — Women require smaller doses than men ; and are also more quickly 
affected by purgatives. 

Temperaments. — Stimulants and purgatives more readily affect the florid or 
sanguine than the pale or phlegmatic ; consequently the former require smaller 
doses. 

Habits. — Persons in the habitual use of stimulants and narcotics require larger 
doses of such remedies to affect them, when laboring under disease, than others 
not so accustomed ; or those who have habituated themselves to saline purgatives, 
such as Epsom Salts, are more easily affected by such remedies. 

Climate — Medicines act differently on the same person in summer and winter, 

14 



WEIGHTS AND MEASURE, ETC. 



15 



and in different climates. Narcotics act more powerful in hot than in cold climates, 
hence smaller doses must be given in the former ; but the reverse is the case with 
respect to calomel, consequently larger doses are required in hot climates. 

Condition of the Stomach. — The least active remedies operate violently on 
some persons, owing to a peculiarity of stomach or disposition of body unconnected 
with temperament. In giving medicines, the medical man always so regulates the 
intervals between doses that the following dose may be taken before the effect 
produced by the former is altogether effaced. By not attending to this rule, the 
cure is always commencing, but never rapidly proceeding — it may, indeed have no 
effect at all. It is to be borne in mind, at the same time, that some medicines, 
such as mercury, etc.. are apt to accumulate in the system, and danger may thence 
arise if the doses be repeated too frequently. Aloes and castor oil acquire 
greater activity by use, so that the dose requires to be diminished. With due 
caution, and a proper attention to the doses ordered, no untoward circumstance 
need arise. 

Emotions and Passions of the Mind have a most powerful influence upon the 
disorders of the body. Hope is a mildly stimulating or tonic feeling, which is 
most beneficial in all cases. The influence of the imagination on disease has long 
been known, and the extraordinary cures we constantly hear of as affected by such 
absurd means as homoeopathy, mesmerism, etc., are, in fact, all referable to the in- 
fluence of the imagination over a diseased body or disordered mind. 

DOSES PROPER FOR DIFFERENT AGES. 



Ages. 



For an Adult 
Under 1 year 
1 " 2 years 
" 3 " 

a 4 tt 

(i n ce 

u U u 

" 20 " 

Above 21 " 

" 65 " 

'•' 80 " 



Proportional Doses. 



Suppose the dose One 
Will require only -^ 

i 

l 

6 
k 

h 

2 

5 

The full dose One 
Will require only § 



Dose. 



as 1 drachm or 60 grains. 

" 5 grains. 
« 8 

" 10 " 

" 15 " 

" 1 scruple or 20 grains. 

" £ drachm or 30 " 

" 2 scruples or 40 " 

" 1 drachm. 

" 45 grains. 

" 2 scruples or 40 grains. 



In the same manner for fluids divide the quantity suited for an adult by the above 
fractional parts. If for a child under one year, the dose will be one-twelfth ; under 
two years, one-eighth; under three years, one-sixth, and so on. 

APPROXIMATE MEASURES. 

For the convenience of those who have not accurate measures at hand, we give 
the approximate quantities : 

A teacup contains four fluid ounces, or one gill. 

A wine glass contains two fluid ounces. 

A tablespoon contains one-half fluid ounce. 

A teaspoon contains one-eighth fluid ounce, or one drachm. 

Sixteen large tablespoonfuls make half a pint. 

Eight " " "one gill. 

Four " " " half gill. 

Twenty-five drops are equal to one teaspoonful. 



16 



OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 




THE HUMAN VISCERA. 



PART I 



General Diseases. 



THE ANATOMY, STRUCTURE, AND FUNCTIONS OF THE 

SKIN. 



FIG. 1. 



Although apparently very simple in its structure, the skin is nev- 
ertheless a very compound organ ; and when we consider the im- 
portant functions it performs, and its relations to the rest of the 
body, we shall not be surprised at this. It is not only the seat of 
common sensation, but by means of the vapor it constantly emits in 
the form of perspiration, it becomes the great regulator of the heat 
of the body. For these purposes it is supplied with nerves, blood- 
vessels, and glands. 

On examining a portion of skin from 
the palm of the hand, or sole of the foot, 
from without inwards, we find that ex- 
ternally it presents a number of furrows, 
or hues, which are tolerably constant in 
particular parts of the body. On the el- 
evations between these lines are seen a 
number of minute openings (b b) which y 
are the terminations of the glands (ddd) 
that yield perspiration. These furrows 
and pores are in the upper layer of the 
skin, called epidermis (cc) or scarf skin. 
This membrane is in some parts very 
thin, not exceeding the one two-hundred- 
and-fortieth part of an inch in thickness, Diagram of the Structure of the 
whilst in others, as in the sole of the foot Skin - 

and the palm of the hand, it is at least a , Epidermis; &&, Pores; cc Lay- 
one-twelfth Of an inch thick. It is this ers of epidermis and rete mucosum ; 
,. .eji -I- -1-1- t it/' Lilialent vessels ; g g, Papillae of 

portion o± the skin which is elevated the skin ; h h, Corium or true skin ; 
when what are called blisters are formed. d cl d > Bulbs of sudoriferous glands 

-ttti -, . . , . . . . opening in tlie glands b b. 

When examined with the microscope, it 

is found to consist of minute flat cells, which have been formed be- 




18 OUR FAMILY DOCTOE. 

low, and are gradually thrust upwards. Below this, but for the 
most part continuous with it, is another series of layers of cells 
(c c), and which were called, at one time, by the name rete mucosum, 
as it was supposed to be a separate membrane. The real nature of 
these layers of cells is, that they are all secreted on the surface of a 
tough fibro-vascular membrane, called the corium or true skin (h h). 
The cells of the lower layer, called the rete mucosum, are softer and 
much less compressed than those which form the epidermis. It is 
amongst these cells that a certain set are found which are termed 
pigment cells. When separated they have a very distinct form, and 
are easily distinguished from all the other cells by their dark color. 
This dark color is dependent on the presence, in the cells, of a num- 
ber of flat, rounded, or oval granules, not more than the one twenty- 
thousandth of an inch in diameter. Now it is found that these cells 
are always present in the skin of the dark-colored races of mankind, 
and also in those parts of the skin of fair races which are of a dark 
color. It is, then, to the presence or absence of these cells that the 
skin is indebted for its white or black color. Where they are very 
abundant, the skin has a black color ; and in proportion to their 
diminution are the various shades called red, yellow, brown, bru- 
nette, which are observed amongst the various races of mankind. 
The skin is provided with two distinct sets of glands. One is des- 
tined to free the blood of a large quantity of fluid, and are named 
the perspiratory or sweat glands ; the other being designed to draw 
off a considerable amount of solid matter, and are styled sebaceous 
or oil glands. The watery vapor which is constantly passing off 
through the pores of the skin — when not, as is commonly the case, 
in such quantity as to be noticed — is termed insensible perspiration / 
when so profuse as to collect in drops on the surface, it is sensible 
perspiration or sweat. The fluid which thus passes off from the 
system consists chiefly of water, with a small proportion of muriate 
of soda and free acetic acid ; the quantity is at all times very con- 
siderable, but is greatly increased during violent exercise, or in hot 
weather. We give on page 19 a cut of one of the glands by 
which the perspiration is secreted. The sweat gland is seen to pos- 
sess a twisted duct which passes upward to the surface, and through 
this tube ascends to the surface the perspiration, sensible and in- 
sensible. It is calculated that there are no less than twenty-eight 
miles of this tubing on the surface of the human body, and that, on 
an average, from two to three pounds of water daily reach the sur- 



THE ANATOMY, STRUCTURE, AND FUNCTIONS OF THE SKIN. 19 



face through these channels, and is evaporated. It is supposed that 
at least one hundred grains of effete nitrogenous matter are daily 
thrown off from the skin. If this excretion be checked or arrested, 
it throws additional labor on the kidneys ; if it remains in the blood, 
it will prove fatal to life and health. Great attention, therefore, 
should be given to the functions of the skin, so as to keep the pores 
open and its action free ; and for this purpose nothing is so effica- 
cious as bathing in cold water, followed by friction and exercise. 

Beside this beautiful arrangement for the perspi- 
ration, the skin is provided with another set of 
special organs, named sebaceous glands, whose office 
it is to withdraw a peculiar fatty matter from the 
system, while the secretion itself prevents the skin 
from being dried and cracked by the influence of the 
sun and air. These glands are distributed more or 
less closely over the whole surface of the body, but 
are most numerous in those parts which are largely 
supplied with hair, such as the scalp and face, and 
are thickly distributed about the entrances of the 
various passages into the body, as the anus, nose, 
lips, and external ear. They are altogether absent 
in the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet, 
As the engraving very nicely indicates, they appear 
to be made up of an aggregate of small vesicles, 
and £hese small vessels are filled with an opaque 
white substance, something like soft ointment. 
These glands are overspread with minute capillaries 
or blood-vessels, and their ducts open either in the 
surface of the skin, or, which is more usual, directly 
into the follicle of the hair. These hair-follicles, 
into which the sebaceous glands open, are, in fact, 
among the secretory organs of the skin, since it is foot- 
only at their root or lowest part that the material ° r Scai ; f Skin ' th ° 

J . . deeper layers of 

produced from their walls is appropriated to the which, dark in color, 
growth of hair. All the rest goes to anoint the ^ing called the r^ 

° t ° mucosum ; b, the Pa- 

hairs and the surface of the skin. Hence it is that pMoe ,■ c, the Cutis or 
this secretion is much more abundant in the inhab- ?J U % Skl ? LT^f m 

the Sweat Gland in 

itants of tropical climates than in those which in- a cavity of oily glob- 
habit cold countries. But for this benevolent pro- Xlles ' 
vision of the great Creator, the skin would become parched and 




A Sweat Gland. 

A vertical section 
of the sole of the 
a, the Cuticle 



20 



OUE FAMILY DOCTOR. 



FIG. 3. 



dry ; and even with this provision of nature, the natives of the warm 
countries are in the habit of lubricating their skin with vegetable 
oils of various kinds, to protect it from the scorching influence of 
the solar rays. 

These wonderful functions of the skin have led some medical men 

to the conclusion that hydropathy, or 
the use of the wet sheet, is the most 
valuable curative means we possess for 
almost every form and variety of dis- 
ease to which the human body is sub- 
ject. It is possible that not enough 
has been made of this most powerful 
of all diaphoretics — it is possible that 

"""TGr. 4. 





Vertical Section of the Skin Fores and Papilke of the Skin. 

Largely Magnified. 0n th e left is a Magnified View of the Ridges of the 

h Sweat Gland ; i, a Hair enclosed Cuticle , as seen in the Palm of the Hand, with the 

in its Follicles, and showing its pair of Openings of the Pores in their Farrows. On the right, 

Sebaceous Glands ; p, a Sebaceous the Cuticle has been removed, leaving corresponding 

Gland. rows of Papillae. 

it may come to be more generally employed as the functions of 
these glands are better understood — but we can never believe that 
any one remedy is equal to every type and development of disease. 
At the same time, we can, while in health never be too lavish in our 
daily use of cold water. 



DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 21 

DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 

BARBER'S ITCH (Sycosis Contagiosum). 

So called because usually thought to be received from the hair 
dresser. It is sometimes very obstinate to remove, lasting for 
months, or even years. 

Cause. — It is communicated by an unclean razor or brush in 
shaving, or may be sometimes caused by a dull razor. 

Symptoms. — It appears on the hairy part of the face — the chin, up- 
per lip, the region of the whiskers, the eyebrows, and nape of the 
neck. It consists in little conical elevations, which maturate at the 
top, and have the shaft of a hair passing through them. These pim- 
ples are of a pale yellowish color. In a few days they burst, and, the 
matter running out, forms into hard, brownish crusts. These crusts 
fall off in one or two weeks, leaving purplish, sluggish pimples be- 
hind which disappear very slowly. 

Treatment. — The most important part of the treatment is the 
removal of the cause. The beard must not be pulled with a dull 
razor, and the shaving had better be discontinued altogether, the 
beard being simply cropped off close with the scissors. All intem- 
perance in eating or drinking must be avoided, as well as exposing 
the face to heat. A light, cool diet will do much toward a cure. 
Nitrate of mercury ointment, and a solution of oxalic acid are the 
best applications. 

CHICKEN POX (Varicella). 

Chicken pox is a very mild form of eruptive disease, which af- 
fects a person but once in a life-time, and which can generally be 
traced to specific contagion or infection ; it is mostly confined to 
children. 

Symptoms. — It is preceded — in most cases, but not in all — by slight 
fever, which lasts for one or two days before the eruption appears, 
which at first is in the form of conical pimples with a white head, 
mostly on the shoulders, breast, and neck, and more sparingly over 
the face and body generally. These vesicles, on the second day, ap- 
pear like little globular blisters, but with little or no surrounding 
inflammation ; they now become filled with a watery fluid, which is 
not converted into pus, as in small pox — to the milder kind of which 



22 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

this disease bears some resemblance — and, about the fifth day, the 
bladders shrivel up and dry away, leaving only crusts or scales. 
The main distinctions between chicken pox and small pox are the 
absence or extreme mildness of the premonitory fever in the former 
disease, and the form and contents of the vesicles ; those of the 
latter eruption being filled with dark matter, and having, invariably, 
a depression in the centre. 

Treatment. — On the first appearance of the eruptions, the patient 
should be put upon spare diet ; this, and a dose or two of some 
cooling aperient, as rhubarb or magnesia, is generally all that is 
necessary ; but should the febrile symptoms run high, give a saline 
draught as the following : 

Carbonate of Potash, 1 scruple. 

Citric or Tartaric Acid, 15 grains. 

Essence of Cinnamon, ^ a dram. 

Syrup of Orange Peel, 1 dram. 

Water, 10 ounces. 

Shake, and drink while sparkling a wineglassful as a refrigerant. To 
make it effervescing, add the acid after the draught is poured out. 
Give plenty of cooling drink, and, if the bowels are at all obstinate, 
emollient injections. Care must be taken that the skin is not irri- 
tated by scratching — as it is, painful and troublesome sores may be 
produced — and also that the patient does not take a chill. If these 
precautions are observed, little or no danger is to be apprehended 
from chicken pox. 

CHILBLAINS 

Are an inflammatory affection of the skin, generally confined to the 
extremities, and especially the fingers and toes. Exposure to sud- 
den alternations of heat and cold usually give rise to these trouble- 
some visitations, which are rather characterized by itching and irri- 
tation than pain. Persons of scrofulous habit and languid circula- 
tion are most subject to them, as are children and aged persons. It 
is a popular fallacy, that to keep the surface of the skin in a state of 
unnatural warmth, by hot bottles and woollen socks by night, and 
fur linings and feet warmers by day, is the best way to prevent 
chilblains ; but this only serves to keep up a constant perspiration, 
and so weakens the tone of the system, and increases the liability to 
them. A nightly foot-bath of cold, or — for aged persons — of tepid 



DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 23 

salt and water, with plenty of friction with a rough towel, and exer- 
cise during the day, will be most likely to keep chilblains from the 
feet ; and for the hands, a careful rubbing so as to get them care- 
fully dry after every washing or dipping in water, and an avoidance 
of all unnecessary exposure to severe cold, are the best preventive 
measures. It is a good plan to have a pan of oatmeal always at 
hand, and to rub them well over with that after they have been wet- 
ted and wiped as dry as possible ; this will absorb any moisture left 
by the towel, and have a softening and cooling effect. Bathing the 
feet and hands every night in warm water in which a small quantity 
of salt is dissolved, is one of the best preventives against chil- 
blains. 

Treatment. — Should chilblains come — as sometimes they will — in 
spite of all precautions, let them be gently rubbed every night and 
morning with some stimulant application ; alcohol, spirits of tur- 
pentine, or camphorated spirits of wine, are all good for this pur- 
pose ; but the application which we have found most efficacious is a 
lotion made of alum and sulphate of zinc — 2 drams of each to 
half a pint of water, rubbed in warm ; it may be made more stimu- 
lating by the addition of 1 ounce of camphorated spirits. When 
the chilblains are broken there must be a different course of treat- 
ment ; the ulcers formed are often difficult to heal, especially in 
weakly and ill-conditioned persons ; there is generally a great deal 
of inflammation, which must be subdued by means of bread and 
water poultices applied cold> and afterward by cooling ointments, 
such as the cerate of acetate of lead, or spermaceti ointment, with 
40 drops of extract of Goulard added to the oiuice ; should there 
be a disposition to form proud flesh, the ointment of red precipi- 
tate should be used. 

DISCOLORED SKIN, 

As caused by moles, freckles, and sunburn, is the result of diseased 
action. 

Freckles are brownspots on the face and hands, caused by exposure 
to the sun. Persons affected with these unsightly discolorations 
may remove them without using cosmetics (which are often dangerous 
by reason of their containing mineral agents), by merely stimulating 
the absorbent vessels of the skin to take them up and carry them 
away as refuse. Any smart stimulant will act in this way ; but it 
has been found that the safest are taken from the vegetable kingdom. 



24 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

One of the best and easiest is Withering's Cosmetic Lotion, which is 
made of a teacupful of soured milk, and a small quantity of seized 
horseradish ; let this stand from six to twelve hours, then use it to 
wash the parts affected twice or thrice a day. 

Moles in the skin, or, as they are commonly called, mother-marks, 
are beyond the reach of surgical treatment ; or, if they ever can be 
removed, it is only at the risk of causing a greater disfigurement ; 
therefore they had better be left alone, the more especially as they 
not unfrequently answer a useful end — that of positive identifica- 
tion. 

Disorders of the Sweat Glands. 

The proper action of the skin is of the greatest importance to 
the health. Too much or too little perspiration may produce seri- 
ous consequences ; but can generally be corrected by cold or warm 
baths, tonics, friction, and proper clothing. 

Disorders of the Oil Glands. 

When the skin is not well taken care of, or when a person has very 
sedentary habits, the action of the oil glands becomes sluggish ; 
the matter in the tubes becomes hard and dry and distends them, 
sometimes raising them above the surface, and the ends become 
black. Again, the oily matter is poured out too profusely, so that 
the skin shines with it ; or, at times, there may be so little that the 
skin is harsh and dry. 

Treatment. — For roughness and harshness of the skin, wash with 
soap and water every night, and rub well into the skin after the 
bath ; and in the morning, an ointment made of olive oil, 4 ounces ; 
white wax, 2 drams. Melt together, and then add honey, 2 drams ; 
croton oil, 20 drops. Take a dose of sulphur and cream tartar 
twice a week. 

"Where the oil tubes have hardened, and formed a horny growth, 
the body should be washed with a quart of water, in which a tea- 
spoonful of saleratus is dissolved ; and twice a day use the follow- 
ing ointment : elder-flower ointment, 1 ounce ; blue vitriol, 1 scru- 
ple. For grubs in the skin, stimulate it by washing in strong soap- 
suds twice a day, and rubbing briskly with a coarse towel, and by 
using this lotion : corrosive sublimate, 5 grains ; cologne, 2 ounces ; 
soft water, 6 ounces. Mix and apply. A spare diet will do much in 
some cases toward improving the skin. 



DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 25 



ERYSIPELAS. 

This disease has been popularly known as the Rose, from its red 
color ; and as St. Anthony's Fire, partly from its burning heat, and 
partly because the saint whose name it bore was supposed to have 
the power of curing it with a touch. There are several species of 
this disease ; but without going into the particular characteristics of 
each, it will be sufficient for us to state what are the general symp- 
toms of erysipelatous inflammation, and best remedial measures. 
We will first say a few words as to the cause of this inflammatory 
affection of the skin, which often commences very suddenly, and 
spreads with a rapidity truly alarming — especially when, as is often 
the case, it first makes its appearance on the head, face, or neck, and 
so involves some of the most delicate and susceptible organs of the 
human frame. 

Causes. — Changes of cold and heat, causing peculiar conditions 
of the atmosphere, may be named among the most common causes 
of this disease, which frequently appears to originate in the slight- 
est puncture or scratch of the skin, as also from wounds or sores ; 
it is very contagious, and its appearance in an hospital ward is 
greatly dreaded, as wounds and amputated parts, which up to the 
time of this visitation have been going on extremely well, frequently 
assume an inflamed — probably a gangrenous — character, which leads 
to a fatal termination of the case. In a house where a confinement 
is taking — or is likely to take — place, erysipelas should be carefully 
guarded against, as there is undoubtedly a close connection between 
that and child-bed fever, which is so frequently fatal. On systems 
debilitated by any disease, whether acute or chronic, this inflamma- 
tory affection appears to seize with peculiar avidity, and to spread 
through the tissues of the skin most rapidly ; it is when extending 
beneath this that it constitutes what professional men call phleg- 
mon, meaning literally to burn — then it is that purulent matter 
forms, the parts slough or mortify, and gangrene ensues. No un- 
professional person should attempt to tamper with this condition of 
things ; there must be a free use of the lancet to let out the morbid 
matter, and the most prompt and decisive line of action adopted ; if 
a limb is so affected, or any part that can be excised, its removal will 
probably be necessary to give the patient a chance for life. 

Among the predisposing causes of erysipelas may be also men- 



26 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

tioned want of cleanliness, insufficiency or bad quality of the food, 
and irregularity of living ; there may be hereditary and constitu- 
tional predisposition, and where this exists the inflammation is very 
easily excited, strong mental emotion, or a fit of inebriety, being 
sometimes sufficient to bring on ' an attack ; it often co-exists with 
or immediately follows some fevers, in which it may be presumed 
that purulent matter enters into the venous circulation. 

Symptoms. — The symptoms of an attack are usually of a febrile 
character, such as shivering, headache, furred tongue, accelerated 
pulse, and often derangement of the stomach for a day or two pre- 
viously ; then there is a tingling and burning sensation, with stiff- 
ness and pain, at some particular part, followed by a discoloration 
of the skin, and a slight elevation of the surface ; the red or pur- 
plish tint is confined at first to one spot, but soon extends itself, and 
includes the limb or part affected ; frequently this is the head, 
which, with the face, becomes so swollen and disfigured that the pa- 
tient cannot be recognized ; the eyelids puff out and entirely close 
the eyes, and each avenue to the senses is for a time closed. In 
very bad cases delirium and coma come on, and death ensues from 
effusion on the brain ; sometimes the patient dies from suffocation, 
the glottis being closed, on account of the internal swelling of the 
throat ; and all this may take place in a few hours, so rapid is the 
progress of the disease. In the milder forms, the patient may be 
tranquil ; until the swelling subsides, there will be a little wandering 
of the mind probably, more particularly at night, and uneasy rest- 
lessness from the pain and inconvenience of the swelling. As the 
redness extends from the part first affected, that part becomes paler, 
the swelling there subsides, and sometimes blisters, like those caused 
by a scald, appear on the surface ; if the inflammation is merely su- 
perficial, it is neither very troublesome nor dangerous ; but when it 
becomes phlegmonous — that is, dips down and affects the deeply- 
seated tissues, there is great cause for alarm ; when this is the case 
the color is generally very florid, the tingling and the burning sen- 
sation severe, and the surface hard and firm to the touch. The 
young and sanguine are most likely to be affected in this way ; those 
of a feebler habit more commonly suffer from the edematous form 
of the disease ; in this the parts affected are of a paler red, and 
softer and inelastic, so that they pit on pressure. 

There is a variety of erysipelas called infantile, which affects in- 
fants at birth ; it commences generally at the navel, and extends 



DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 27 

quickly to the extremities, which are hard, firm, and much swollen, 
and prone to become gangrenous. 

The chief characteristics of erysipelas are its sudden appearance, 
red color, tendency to spread, febrile symptoms, heat and tenderness 
of the skin, and blistered surface. We call especial attention to 
these, because many affections of the skin are thought to be this, 
although they bear but a slight resemblance to it. 

Treatment. — Having a certain course to run, whose period cannot 
be shortened, the great object will be to conduct the patient safely 
through it. First administer a cooling aperient. When the aperi- 
ent has operated freely, give a saline mixture like this : 

Sweet Spirits of Nitre, 2 drams. 

Sulphate of Potash, 2 drams. 

Liquor of Acetate of Ammonia, 2 ounces. 

Camphor Mixture, 6 ounces. 

Take two tablespoonsful every four hours ; or, if the stomach be ir- 
ritable, give an effervescing mixture as thus : 

Bicarbonate of Potash or of Soda, 2 drams. 

Water, 6 ounces. 

Syrup of Orange Peel, 2 drams. 

Pour out two tablespoonsful in a wineglass, and add 15 grains of 
citric or tartaric acid — the former is best of the two ; but better 
still is a tablespoonful of fresh lemon juice ; stir and drink while 
effervescing. The patient during this treatment must be kept on 
low diet, taking nothing but mild diluent drinks ; but, should the 
strength rapidly decline, tonics must be administered. Quinine is 
the best, in 2 or 3 grain doses every four hours ; let the vehicle be 
wine ; if the stomach will not bear this, try an enema of thin starch, 
with 3 grains of the above tonic in it. To allay the burning and 
itching, arrowroot, flour, powdered starch, magnesia, or rye meal 
should be dusted over the parts affected ; should these not afford 
the desired relief, try bathing with tepid water, poppy fomentations, 
or a tea made of buckwheat meal ; a line drawn round the diseased 
part with caustic, so as to make a band about one inch in breadth, 
will frequently stop the spreading of the inflammation ; care must 
be taken that no skin untouched by the caustic is left in the breadth 
of the band, or it may render the precaution nugatory. A lotion of 



28 OUR FAMILY DOCTOB. 

lunar caustic, in the proportion of 1 scruple to 1 ounce of water, 
may also be applied with a camel-hair brush over the whole inflamed 
surface. In phlegmonous erysipelas, hot fomentations and poul- 
tices, leeches, and other dipletive measures, must at once be resorted 
to, and this, as before mentioned, should be under the direction of 
the medical adviser. 

The proper treatment of infantile erysipelas is to foment the in- 
flamed parts with a strong and hot poppy decoction, and give every 
hour or two a tablespoonful of decoction of bark, or of this mix- 
ture : 

Sulphate of Quinine, 6 grains. 

Diluted Sulphuric Acid, 12 grains. 

Tincture of Gentian, 2 drams. 

A teaspoonful to be given every two hours. An enema of beef tea 
or mutton broth should be thrown up if the patient seems to re- 
quire it. 

Directly erysipelas sets in, and especially if it appears likely to 
assume a severe form, all the hair should be cut or shaved off the 
parts near where it commences. If not severe, it is best not to dis- 
color the skin by applying caustic, but to use a lotion composed 
thus : 

Sugar of Lead, 1 dram. 

Bain or Distilled Water 1 pint. 

Mix. Add tincture of opium, 1 dram. Wet rags to be kept ap- 
plied. 

Herbal or Eclectic Treatment for Erysipelas. 

A poultice of cranberries has been found of great service. Boil 
till soft, mix with flour, and apply to the part affected. Poultices 
of elm bark and hop yeast have produced marked relief in allaying 
pain and healing the ulcerated surface. In chronic erysipelas, where 
it breaks out every few months, the following is very beneficial : 

Blue Flag Boot, 1 ounce. 

Yellow Dock Boot, 1 ounce. 

Burdock Boot, 1 ounce. 

Bark of Bitter Sweet Boot, 1 ounce. 

Sassafras Bark, 1 ounce. 

Elder Flower, 2 ounces. 



DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 29 

Add 6 pints of boiling water ; cover the vessel, and let it steep for 
twenty-four hours ; press the herbs ; strain and sweeten. Dose — a 
wineglass three times a day. Washing the parts affected two or 
three times a week in weak lye water is very beneficial. 

INFLAMMATORY BLUSH {Erythema), 

A morbid redness of the skin, and considered as a milder form of 
erysipelas — from which, however, it differs in not being contagious, 
and yielding more easily to medical treatment. Medical men enu- 
merate seven different species of this disease, all differing in some 
peculiarity of form or color in the eruption. Thus, sometimes the 
surfaces are smooth and shining- and marginated, or they are like 
small pimples or tumors, appearing generally on the face, breast, or 
arms ; again they appear as red shining patches on the front of the 
legs, and sometimes on the arms, assuming a purplish tint after 
some days, like a bruise. This form appears to be almost peculiar 
to young women. Then there is the red gum or tooth rash of chil- 
dren, and the redness occasioned by irritating discharges, such as 
of the feces in diarrhea, or of tears when of an acrid character, or 
the chafing between the folds of the skin of children, which results 
from want of proper care in frequent washing and drying the parts. 
Sometimes after dancing or any violent exercise, drinking cold wa- 
ter when in a heated state, or eating too largely of fruit or other 
substances, red spots and patches will appear on the back, shoul- 
ders, and face, more particularly of young persons ; and all these 
are different varieties of erythema, one of whose peculiar character- 
istics is that the redness disappears on pressure of the inflamed 
part, but shows itself again in a second or two after the finger is 
removed. 

Treatment. — The proper treatment for children is bathing the 
part affected freely with hot water, and then drying thoroughly, and 
applying powdered starch or violet powder ; keep the bowels open 
with a senna draught, or a dose of castor oil in the morning, follow- 
ing it up with small doses of quinine, according to the age of the 
child. Should the inflammation not yield to this treatment, after a 
few days, use the sugar of lead lotions recommended for erysipelas, 
and still proceed with the quinine, to which rapidly-spreading ery- 
thema scarcely ever fails to yield. This course of treatment must 



30 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

be applied in most of the common forms of the disease to patients 
of all ages ; but there are one or two exceptional forms to which it 
is not applicable, such as the kind already alluded to as chiefly at- 
tacking young women, and of these such as are of a delicate consti- 
tution. It is especially likely to come on after scarlet fever or 
measles. As this is attendant on a debilitated state of the system, 
it requires nourishing food and strengthening medicine. For its 
removal some preparation of iron, with infusion of quassia, and an 
aromatic tincture, or cinnamon water, will make a good mixture ; or 
take the following , 

Sulphate of Quinine, 12 grains. 

Diluted Sulphuric Acid, 1 dram. 

Compound Tincture of Cardamums, |an ounce. 

Infusion of Roses, 12 ounces. 

Dose — two tablespoonfuls two or three times a day ; change of air 
is also desirable. 

Another not uncommon form of the disease generally shows itself 
on the face, especially of sedentary females. It is often called ery- 
sipelas, but it is usually unattended with febrile symptoms, or con- 
stitutional derangement of any kind, and exhibits no tendency to 
spread rapidly. Local remedies are of little service in this case — 
indeed, they are more likely to do mischief, by inducing congestion. 
When the disease is acute, a brisk mercurial aperient, followed by 
cooling saline medicines, may be of service ; when it becomes 
chronic, arsenic is the only remedy likely to cure it, and this will 
not always effect the object. It should be taken in the form of 
Fowler's solution. Plenty §f walking exercise, with due care as to 
diet, and strict attention to the laws of health, are the grand spe- 
cifics after all. 

ITCH {Scabies), 

A troublesome contagious eruptive disease, found generally in those 
of uncleanly habits. 

Cause. — It is caused by a minute insect — the acarus or sarcoptes 
scabiei — lodging under the skin, and is readily communicated by 
contact. The only proof of the existence of itch is the presence of 
the insect, and this is readily detected by means of the microscope. 



DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 31 

Symptoms. — The most prominent symptom of this disease is a 
constant and intolerable itching. It never comes on of itself, but is 
always the result of contact with an affected person. It first shows 
itself in an eruption of small bladders or vesicles filled with a clear 
watery fluid, occurring principally on the hand and wrist, and in 
those parts most exposed to friction, such as the spaces between the 
fingers, and the flexures of the joints, etc. ; after a time it extends . 
to the legs, arms, and trunk, but it rarely appears on the face. 

Treatment. — The itch is never got rid of without medical treat- 
ment ; but to that it will always yield, provided proper cleanliness 
be observed. Sulphur is the grand specific for it ; it may be applied 
in the form of ointment, prepared as follows : 

Flowers of Sulphur, 2 ounces. 

Carbonate of Potash, 2 drams. 

Lard, 4 ounces. 

To be rubbed well in, wherever the eruption appears, every night 
and morning — washing it off with soap and flannel before each fresh 
application. The most effectual plan is to anoint the whole body, 
from the nape of the neck to the soles of the feet, and out to the 
ends of the fingers ; put on socks, drawers, flannel wrapper, and 
gloves, and so remain in bed for thirty-six hours, repeating the 
anointing operation twice during that time ; then take a warm bath, 
and wash the whole person with soap and flannel. 

In mild cases, a sulphureous vapor bath taken twice in twenty- 
four hours, with warm soap and water washing, will generally be 

sufficient. 

IRRITATION, ITCHING (Prurigo), 

A papulous affection of the skin, attended with troublesome itching. 
Sometimes it is attended with a sensation as of ants or other insects 
creeping over and stinging the skin, or of hot needles piercing it. 
This disease, although not dangerous, is a cause of great discomfort, 
and sometimes even misery ; it attacks persons of all ages, and is 
not easily got rid of, sometimes lasting for months, and even years. 
Treatment. — Wash well, every evening before going to bed, with 
Castile soap, and allow it to dry in. Brandy or alcohol may be used 
in the same manner. An ounce of lemon juice in a pint of water, 
or vinegar used in the same proportion, will be found useful ; also, 
water and spirits of camphor. The diet should be carefully regu- 
lated, and all stimulants avoided. 



32 OUB FAMILY DOCTOR. 



MEASLES. 

This is a contagious eruption, commonly affecting children, and 
the same individual but once. 

Symptoms. — The first symptoms of measles are shivering, suc- 
ceeded by heat, thirst, and languor ; then follows running at the 
nose, sneezing, cough ; the eyes water and become intolerant of 
light ; the pulse quickens, and the face swells ; there are successive 
heats and chills, and all the usual signs of catarrhal fever. Some- 
times the symptoms are so mild as to be scarcely noticeable — some- 
times greatly aggravated ; but in any case, at the end of the third 
day, or a little later, an eruption of a dusky red color appears — first 
on the forehead and face, and then gradually over the whole body. 
In the early stage of this eruption there is little to characterize it, 
but after a few hours it assumes the peculiar appearance which once 
seen can never be mistaken. The little red spots become grouped, 
as it were, into crescent-shaped patches, which are slightly elevated 
above the surface, the surrounding skin retaining its natural color. 
On the third day of the eruption it begins to fade and disappear, 
being succeeded by a scurfy disorganization of the cuticle, which is 
accompanied by an intolerable itching. The febrile symptoms also 
abate, and very quickly leave the patient altogether — but often in a 
very weak state, and with a troublesome cough. Between exposure 
to the infection and the breaking out of measles, there is usually an 
interval of fourteen days, which is called the period of incubation ; 
so that it is not uncommon, where there are several children in a 
family, for the cases to succeed each other at fortnightly intervals. 

This disease is often rendered dangerous by complications with 
others ; so that, although not in itself of a fatal character, it fre- 
quently leads to fatal results. Where there are the seeds of con- 
sumption or scrofula in the constitution, they are likely to be called 
into activity during the debility which follows an attack of measles ; 
dropsy often follows it, as do affections of the air passages, chest, 
and bowels. 

Treatment. — Generally speaking, for simple measles, little medi- 
cine is required. Give the patient plenty of diluent drinks ; let him 
have a spare diet, and a moderately warm and well-ventilated room ; 
keep the bowels gently open ; if a roasted apple, or a little manna 
in the drink will not do this, give a mild saline aperient, like this : 



DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 33 

Ipecacuanha Wine,.... 1 dram. 

Sweet Spirits of Nitre, 1 dram. 

Tartrate of Potash, 4 drams. 

Solution of Acetate of Ammonia, 1 ounce. 

Syrup of Poppies, 2 drams. 

Cinnamon Water, 4 ounces. 

p OS e — a table or dessert spoonful three or four times a day ; should 
this not be sufficiently powerful, substitute sulphate of magnesia for 
the potash, and add 4 drams of tincture of senna. "Where there is 
much heat of the skin, sponging with tepid -vinegar and water will 
completely relieve it, and also the itching. "When the eruption has 
subsided, and the desquamation of the skin commenced, a tepid 
bath will materially assist this process, and get rid of the dead cu- 
ticle. On the third or fourth day after the disappearance of the 
eruption, give a small dose of powder of rhubarb, jalap, or scam- 
mony. Care should be taken to protect the patient against change 
of weather, and to restore the strength by a nourishing diet. At- 
tention should be paid to the cough. Give drinks of flaxseed tea 
or slippery elm, made slightly acid. 

Sometimes the eruption of measles disappears suddenly — then 
there is cause for alarm ; the patient should be directly put into a 
warm bath, and have warm diluent drinks ; if the pulse sinks rap- 
idly, and there is great prostration of strength, administer wine 
whey, and the following draughts : 10 drops of aromatic spirits of 
ammonia, or 5 grains of the sesqui-carbonate in J an ounce of cam- 
phor mixture, with a drop of laudanum, every four hours ; should 
the prostration be very great, weak brandy and water may be given. 
The state of the chest, head, and bowels should be closely watched 
for some time after the patient is convalescent, as disorders of these 
organs are very likely to occur, in which case it is probable that 
there may be pneumonia, hydrocephalus, or diarrhea. 

Malignant Measles 

Is a variety which commences with the above symptoms in an ag- 
gravated form ; the rash quickly assumes a livid hue, alternately re- 
viving and disappearing, and is mixed up with dark red spots like 
flea-bites ; in this form of the disease we have extreme debility, and 
all the symptoms of putrid fever, like which it should be treated. 
No time should be lost in procuring medical aid. 
3 



34: OUR FAMILY DOCTOK. 



Heebal or Eclectic Treatment for Measles. 

A strong tea composed of saffron and snake root always proves 
beneficial. Decoctions of licorice, marshmallow roots and sarsaparilla 
are very good, as are infusions of linseed or of the flowers of el. 
der ; clarified whey and barley water are all excellent drinks in these 
cases. If the patient is costive, sweeten with a little honey. 

NETTLE RASH. 

This is an eruption of the skin similar to that produced by the 
sting of nettles. It is not dangerous or contagious. 

Causes. — It is generally thrown out by some particular kind of 
food which disagrees with the system, such as crabs, or other shell- 
fish, or mackerel ; certain vegetables are likely to produce it, such 
as mushrooms, cucumbers, bitter almonds, or strawberries. Co- 
paiba, cubebs, valerian, or the fumes of turpentine inhaled during 
house-painting, are also likely to occasion nettle rash. 

Symptoms. — The eruption consists of little solid eminences of ir- 
regular outline, but generally roundish or oblong, and either white 
or red, or both red and white — the whiteness occupying the central 
and most projecting part of the spot, or becoming manifest there 
when the integuments are put upon the stretch. It is accompanied 
with intense heat, and a burning or tingling in the affected spots. 
No part of the body is exempt from nettle rash. There are two va- 
rieties of this disorder, one of which is regarded as acute, the other 
as chronic, and either persistent or intermittent. The acute form is 
usually preceded or attended with feverishness, and a feeling of gen- 
eral uneasiness, headache, nausea, and vomiting. In general it ap- 
pears in the morning, vanishes in the course of a few hours, and 
perhaps reappears again twice or thrice during the day. It usually 
disappears entirely in six or eight days. The chronic form of this 
complaint is intractable and difficult to remove, coming and going 
for a lengthened period, but with little or no feverishness. 

Treatment. — An emetic should be first administered, if the erup- 
tion is caused by anything recently taken into the stomach ; it should 
be followed by a saline aperient — senna mixture, with salts, is per- 
haps best, and this repeated until the bowels are freely moved ; if 
the febrile symptoms do not subside, a mixture composed of sweet 



DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 35 

spirits of nitre, 2 drams ; liquor of acetate of ammonia, 1 ounce ; 
and camphor mixture, 5 ounces, should be given, two tablespoonsful 
every four hours. In the chronic form, a simple diet, active exer- 
cise, an avoidance of any articles of diet likely to excite the erup- 
tion ; keeping the bowels regular by gentle aperients, combined 
with anti-acids ; a five-grain rhubarb pill an hour before dinner, or a 
small piece of the root chewed, are good remedial means ; the tepid 
bath should be occasionally used, or sponging, to keep the skin in a 
healthy state ; to allay the irritations, dust starch-powder over the 
irruptions, or use a lotion made of rose or elder-flower water in half 
a pint of which has been dissolved 1 dram of carbonate of ammonia, 
and ^ a dram of sugar of lead. 

PRICKLY HEAT, or LICHEN, 

Is a disease caused by intense and long-continued heat ; but it may 
be excited by the same causes which produce the nettle rash, when 
the system is prepared for it. It is one of the most annoying 
plagues of a tropical climate. 

Symptoms. — The general character of the disease is that of "a 
diffuse eruption, with red pimples, and a troublesome sense of tin- 
gling or pricking." There is more or less general irritation, and 
sometimes a little fever at the commencement. In its milder form, 
it first appears with distinct red papillae about the cheeks and chin, 
or on the arms, with little inflammation around their base. In the 
course of three or four days, the eruption spreads over the neck, 
body, and lower extremities, producing an unpleasant sensation of 
itching, often aggravated at meals and during the night. In a week 
or ten days the color of the eruption fades, and the cuticle separates 
in scurf. This is the common form ; but we find that from external 
heat, and sometimes from internal disorder, a vivid rash is often 
thrown out, consisting principally of deep red pimples, occasionally 
degenerating into wheals like those of the nettle rash, which remain 
for a considerable time, unless the atmospheric or other causes are 
removed. 

Treatment. — For the relief of the itching and burning sensation 
attendant on prickly heat, which in tropical countries are often ab- 
solutely unbearable, the best remedy is cold water — using caution 
when the patient is perspiring. Live sparingly, and take a few 
doses of a mild purgative, as the following : 



36 OUH FAMILY DOCTOK. 

Powdered Aloes, 2 drams. 

Powdered Rhubarb, 1 dram. 

Powdered Jalap, 2 drams. 

Powdered Cream of Tartar, 4 drams. 

Magnesia, 1 dram. 

Best Honey, 1 ounce. 

Mix well, and divide into 120 pills ; take 2, 3, or 4 on going to bed. 

RASHES. 

Patches of superficial redness of the skin ; they may occur on 
any part of the body, and are generally accompanied by increased 
heat and irritation — sometimes by swelling, inflammation, and con- 
siderable pain ; they are not contagious. 

When red blotches occur in the face they are generally connected 
with some constitutional derangement — often with dyspepsia — to 
the cure of which the general treatment must be directed ; the face 
should be washed in warm water, and the blotches dapped with 
camphorated spirit. 

Rose Rash 

Is common with children during dentition, and is, therefore, called 
tooth rash. It arises from intestinal irritation, and most usually 
shows itself about the face, although it may appear on any part of 
the body. With adults it usually occurs in hot weather ; fatigue, 
drinking largely of cold water, or eating indigestible food, will bring 
it forth. It sometimes occurs during the eruptive form of small 
pox, and sometimes after vaccination, in a congeries of small dots 
or patches. Mild aperients, such as rhubarb and magnesia, cooling 
drinks, tepid baths, with frugal diet and rest, are the best remedies. 
There is usually considerable itching with these rashes, which may 
be allayed by the application of Goulard water, or some other cool- 
ing lotion. 

RINGWORM 

Is an eruptive disease of the skin — more particularly of the head — 
and of which there are several kinds. 

Causes. — Ringworm has its seat in the roots of the hair, and is 
believed to be attended by the growth of parasitic fungi ; its pre- 
disposing causes are any derangement of the general health from ill 



DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 37 

or under feeding, breathing impure air, drinking bad water, uncleanly 
habits, scrofula. Its immediate or exciting cause is generally con- 
tact with those affected with it, or using combs or hair brushes 
which they have used. 

Mr. Erasmus Wilson remarks "that improper food is a frequent 
predisposing cause, and that he has observed it in children fed too 
exclusively on vegetable diet." It is said to occur spontaneously in 
children ill-fed arid uncleanly, and is readily propagated by conta- 
gion. It has recently been discovered that this disease is owing to 
the presence of a cryptogamic parasite, called the trichophyton. 

Symptoms. — The most common kind commences with clusters of 
small light-yellow pustules, which soon break and form into thin 
scabs, which, if neglected, become thick and hard by accumulation. 
When removed, they appear again in a few days ; and by these rep- 
etitions the incrustations become thicker, and the area of the patches 
extends, so as, if unchecked, to affect the whole head, and extend 
also to the forehead and neck. The patches are of an irregular cir- 
cular form. This disease occurs generally in children of three or 
four years and upward, and often continues for several years. 

Treatment. — The treatment consists in applying to the parts some 
preparation which will destroy the fungus. The first thing to be 
done is to remove the hair, and this should be done with a pair of 
pincers, or some such depilatory as 1 part each of lime and carbon- 
ate of soda, and 30 parts of lard. Afterward the parts should be 
washed with a solution of bichloride of mercury (l J part to 250 parts 
of water), or with a solution of sulphurous acid (1 part to 8 of 
water). The general health should be at the same time attended 
to, and nutritious diet, tonics, cod-liver oil, and regular exercise used 
when necessary. 

The vesicular form of ringworm is the simplest and most amen- 
able to treatment ; sometimes it disappears after careful washing 
and poulticing, with, perhaps, a few applications of any astringent 
lotion ; but the pustular form is far more troublesome and intracta- 
ble, spreading often very rapidly, and running into ulcerous sores, 
and sometimes reappearing when it is thought that a cure has been 
effected. Nothing but the greatest care and attention will then 
eradicate it. Any child afflicted with this disease should be sepa- 
rated from other children, on account of its contagious nature ; 
wearing each others caps and bonnets will be likely to spread it 
through a whole school. 



38 OUK, FAMILY DOCTOE, 



ERUPTIVE DISEASES OF THE SCALP 

Are commonly very obstinate and difficult to cure ; keeping the hair 
cut short off, great cleanliness, and regular application of the pre- 
scribed remedies, are essential to success in the treatment of such ; 
the head should be washed at least once a day with a strong lather 
of yellow or Castile soap. The red precipitate ointment is often of 
essential service in these scalp eruptions, but its application is use- 
less over scabs ; they should be removed previously by means of 
poultices. Alkaline lotions have been used with good effect — about 
2 drams of subcarbonate of soda, dissolved in 1^ pints of water, is 
perhaps the best form ; a piece of lint saturated with it should be 
laid over the head, and covered with oiled silk or thin gutta percha. 

It often happens that an eruption of this kind is thrown out to 
relieve the system of morbific matter, and if in this case it is 
stopped too suddenly, convulsions and other ill consequences may 
follow ; the patient should be put under a course of alterative med- 
icine, and these, with strict attention to cleanliness, etc., will effect 
a cure as quickly as is safe and desirable. 

When there is a full habit, with a tendency to eruptions of the 
scalp, the diet should be somewhat lowered. Mild and farinaceous 
food should be in a great measure substituted for flesh. But if the 
habit be weakly, the diet must be rendered more nourishing and 
stimulating ; in all cases of the kind salted provisions should be 
avoided. 

SCARLET FEVER, or SCARLATINA, 

Is a contagious febrile disease, almost always attended during a 
part of its course by a rash and by sore throat. Sometimes only 
one of these features is well marked, sometimes both. Though per- 
sons of all ages are susceptible of it, it is eminently a disease of 
children. Like small pox or measles, it rarely attacks a person 
more than once. Physicians distinguish three different varieties of 
scarlatina — namely, scarlatina simplex, in which there is a florid 
rash and little or no affection of the throat ; scarlatina anginosa, 
in which both the skin and the throat are decidedly implicated ; and 
scarlatina maligna, in which the stress of the disease falls upon the 
throat. 



DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 39 

Symptoms. — So plainly are the symptoms marked that it is scarcely 
possible to mistake this eruptive fever for any other ; almost inva- 
riably we have first sore throat, with shivering, headache, and loss 
of appetite ; probably there may be sickness and vomiting, with heat 
of skin, quick pulse, and great thirst. In about forty-eight hours 
from the commencement of the attack, we have an eruption of red 
spots on the arms and chest ; these gradually become more thickly 
planted and widely spread, until they pervade the whole of the body, 
making the skin appear of one uniform scarlet tint, that is over the 
body generally ; in the extremities it is more in patches, the skin 
being perceptibly rough to the touch. On the second day, gener- 
ally, the tongue presents the appearance of being covered with a 
white film, through which the papulae project as bright red spots, 
as we see the seeds on a white strawberry ; then the. white creamy- 
looking film comes away gradually, and leaves the tongue preter- 
naturally clean and red. On the fourth or fifth day the eruption 
begins to fade, and by the seventh or eighth has entirety disap- 
peared, and with it the febrile symptoms. Then commences the 
peeling off of the cuticle or scarf skin, which comes away in scales 
from the face and body, and in large flakes from the extremities. It 
is during this process that the greatest danger of contagion is to 
be apprehended, and, until it is completed, the patient should be 
kept apart from the rest of the family : it may be hastened by tepid 
bathing and rubbing. Sometimes, with scarlet fever, there is little 
real illness ; the patient feels pretty well, and, in a few days, would 
like to leave the sick chamber ; but it is always necessary to be cau- 
tious in gratifying such a wish, both for the sake of the invalid and 
of others ; after an attack of this fever, as after measles, the system 
is peculiarly susceptible of morbific influences, and a chill taken at 
such a time may cause the most alarming results. 

Sometimes we have a great aggravation of the symptoms above 
described ; the throat gives the first warning of the attack ; there is 
stiff neck, swelling of the glands, and the lining of the mouth and 
fauces becomes at once of an intense crimson color ; there are ash- 
colored spots about the tonsils ; the general eruption is of a deeper 
color, and spreads more rapidly, than in the simple kind. 

Scarlatina Anginosa. 

Then again we have the malignant form, with the rash in irregu- 
lar patches of a dusky hue, which sometimes recedes and appears 



40 OUR FAMILY DOCTOK. 

again. There is intense inflammation of the throat at the very out- 
set, with general enlargement of the salivary glands ; the neck 
sometimes swells to a great size ; . there is a sloughy ulceration of 
the throat, from which, and the nostrils — through which it is diffi- 
cult to breathe — there comes an acrid discharge, causing excoriation 
of the nose and lips, and sometimes extending to the larynx and 
trachea, as well as to the intestinal canal, causing croup, vomiting, 
and purging. The poisonous secretion enters into the circulation 
and vitiates the blood ; sometimes the sense of hearing, as well as 
of smelling, is entirely destroyed by the acrid matter coming in con- 
tact with and inflaming the mucous membrane. With this form of 
the disease it is extremely difficult to deal, and the patient often 
sinks beneath it in spite of the best medical advice and assistance. 
Scarlet fever may be distinguished from measles by the following 
characteristics : 

In scarlet fever the eruption appears on the second day, accom- 
panied with sore throat, but no running of the nose. In measles 
the eruption comes out on the third or fourth day, with running 
from the nose, and other catarrhal symptoms. The eruptions of 
measles are like flea-bites, slightly elevated from the surface, in 
patches the shape of a half moon ; whereas the rash of scarlet fever 
is smooth to the touch, spreads over the whole body, and is of a 
brighter red color than measles. 

Treatment. — At first mild aperients only should be given, with di- 
luted drinks, as flaxseed tea, and a spare diet ; the patient should 
have plenty of fresh air ; the head should be kept cool, the hair be- 
ing cut close off or shaved. The following is a good febrifuge mix- 
ture : 

Carbonate of Ammonia, 1 dram. 

Solution of Acetate of Ammonia, 2 ounces. 

"Water or Camphor Mixture, 6 ounces. 

*A tablespoonful to be taken every four hours — that is for an adult ; 
a dessert-spoonful will be sufficient for a child. The whole body 
should be sponged with cool water as often as it becomes hot and 
dry. If the throat swells much externally, and there are headaches, 
apply a blister or hot bran poultice, and soak the feet and hands 
in hot water, with a little mustard or Cayenne pepper stirred in. 
To gargle the throat, dissolve 1 dram of common salt in -J a pint of 
water; with children who cannot gargle, this may be injected 



DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 41 

against the fauces or up the nostrils, by means of a syringe or elas- 
tic gum bottle. When the inflammatory action has ceased and the 
skin is peeling off, it is necessary to take good stimulant and nutri- 
tious food, with tonics such as iron and quinine, unless they cause 
bad head symptoms, in which case these must be discontinued, and 
the diet chiefly depended on. When the system seems to be over- 
whelmed with the strength of the poison, a liberal administration of 
wine and bark will be required to sustain the flagging powers until 
the deadly agency has in some measure passed away. As gargles 
for the throat, a weak solution of chloride of soda or of nitrate of 
silver is very useful. A solution of chloride of potass in water (a 
dram to a pint) is recommended as a drink in this disease. The 
bowels also require to be carefully watched. It is of the utmost im- 
portance that the throat should be carefully treated. If neglected, 
the inflammation is liable to enter into the middle ear and cause life- 
long deafness, and perhaps ulceration of the ear, with discharges. 

With regard to the more malignant form, but little is to be done ; 
the depressing effect of the contagious poison upon the whole body, 
and upon the nervous system especially, is so great as to defy all 
active treatment. 

To assist the action of the skin, use the following : 

Pulverized Gum Arabic, 1 scruple. 

SweetSpirits of Nitre, | an ounce. 

Tincture of Veratrum Viride, 20 drops. 

Water, Soft, 2 ounces. 

Mix ; give half a teaspoonful every half hour. 

As a preventive of scarlet fever, belladonna has been much rec-» 
ommended ; its effect is to deaden the nervous energy, and render 
the system less susceptible of the contagion. If a solution of the 
extract be made in the proportion of 5 grains in 10 ounces of water, 
an adult may take 2 drams, and a child from 20 to 30 drops twice a 
day, for three weeks during the time when the fever is raging in a 
neighborhood. Recently carbonate of ammonia has been much rec- 
ommended in the treatment of this disease. For adults five-grain 
doses ; for children half the quantity three times a day. Very fre- 
quently, about ten or fourteen days after the subsidence of this fe- 
ver, alarming dropsical affections result. These mav be generally 
obviated by using daily the warm bath when the skin begins to 
peel off. When dropsy has set in, give a warm bath three times a 



42 OUK FAMILY DOCTOR. 

week, and the compound tincture of Virginia snake root, in doses 
of a teaspoonful every two hours, in catnip tea, until free perspira- 
tion is induced. 

Herbal or Eclectic Treatment. 

In its milder attacks but little treatment is required. Give warm 
drinks of catnip, sage, saffron, or snake-root tea. Where the stom- 
ach is irritable and vomiting frequent, spearmint tea will be very 
beneficial, or a mustard plaster laid over the stomach will stop the 
vomiting. When an emetic is needed, give a teaspoonful of lobelia 
powder, the same quantity of powder of skunk cabbage, and a little 
Cayenne pepper, with a teaspoonful of sugar, in strong thorough- 
wort tea ; give every half hour till free vomiting is produced. If 
the throat is sore and swollen, bathe it with a liniment made of 1 
part of spirits of turpentine and 2 parts of sweet oil, applied while 
warm. A good gargle is take J a pint each of vinegar and water, hot, 
add 1 teaspoonful of blood root, and let it stand seven or eight 
hours before using. 

It is said that in the West Indies, where this disease frequently 
assumes the malignant form, cures are effected by the following 
simple preparation : 

Take 2 tablespoonsful of Cayenne pepper, and a teaspoonful of 
salt ; put them into a \ pint of boiling water ; let the mixture stand 
about fifteen minutes ; then add a \ j)int of vinegar ; let it stand a 
half hour, when strain through a fine cloth, and give two table- 
spoonsful every half hour. If putrid symptoms appear, give com- 
mon yeast, a wineglass every two or three hours. 

A valuable preparation for inflamed or swollen face is raw cran- 
berries pounded fine and applied. 

On recovery the following good tonic may be given : Take of gen- 
tian root, Colombo root, sweet flag root, golden seal root, Cayenne 
peppex, of each, in coarse powder, a heaped teaspoon ; add 1 pint 
of sherry wine ; let it stand a few days. Dose — a teaspoonful to a 
wineglassful three times a day. 

SMALL POX (Variola). 

This, like scarlet fever and measles, belongs to the class of erup- 
tive fevers ; it attacks persons of all ages, but the young are most 
liable to it. At no particular season of the year is it more preva- 



DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 43 

lent than at any other, nor does climate appear to be influential in 
averting or modifying its visitations. 

Symptoms. — When it occurs naturally, the premonitory symptoms 
are those of other fevers of its class ; there are usually cold chills, 
pains in the back and loins, loss of appetite, prostration of strength, 
nausea, and sometimes vomiting ; with young children, there are 
sometimes convulsions. About forty-eight hours after these symp- 
toms set in, an eruption of hard red pimples begins to overspread 
the face and neck, gradually extending downward over the trunk 
and -extremities. Each pimple is surrounded by the peculiar dull 
red margin termed areola, and has a central depression on the top, 
containing lymph ; at this period the eruption is decidedly vesicu- 
lar, but it becomes afterward pustular ; this change takes place on 
about the fifth day of its appearance, when the central depression 
disappears, suppuration takes place, and the vessels are filled with 
matter, which shortly after oozes out and dries into a scab. In 
about ten days this falls off, and leaves a pale purple stain like a 
blotch, which gradually fades, unless the disease has penetrated so 
deeply as to destroy the true skin, in which case a pit, or, as it is 
usually called, a "pock-mark," remains for life. 

The primary fever of this disease lessens as soon as the eruption 
appears ; but after this has left the face, and traveled downward, 
attacking successively the lower parts of the body, a secondary fever 
sets in, which is more severe than the first, and not unfrequently as- 
sumes a typhoid character. 

Small pox may be either distinct or confluent. In the former 
case, the pustules are perfectly distinct from each other ; in the lat- 
ter, they run into each other ; this latter is the most dangerous form 
of the disease, the fever being more intense and rapid, and having 
no intermission ; it goes on increasing from the first, and frequently 
by its violence, in nine or ten days, so exhausts the system that 
coma, delirium, and death ensue, preceded by convulsions, hemor- 
rhages, bloody stools, dysentery, and all the train of symptoms 
which indicate that a virulent and fatal poison has entered into the 
circulation. 

Treatment. — As soon as the premonitory fever comes on, an 
emetic should be administered, and followed by a purgative of a tol- 
erably active nature ; then keep the patient on spare diet (certainly 
no meat), and give plenty of warm diluent drinks ; keep the bowels 
moderately open by means of saline aperients ; let the patient have 



44 OUE FAMILY DOCTOB. 

plenty of fresh air, and sponge the skin with cool or tepid water, as 
may be most agreeable, to diminish the heat of the body. Some- 
times there is not energy in the system to develop the pustules with 
sufficient rapidity ; in this case nourishment and stimulants should 
be given in the form of broths, wine whey, etc. ; warm or mustard 
foot-baths should also be resorted to ; and, to allay irritability, a 
ten-grain Dover's powder may be administered at bed-time, or a \ 
of a grain of morphine, in camphor mixture. A good nourishing 
diet will be required in the secondary stage of the fever ; and, if it 
assumes a typhoid character, the treatment should be the same as 
that of typhus fever. Frequently the face is much swelled, and the 
eyelids closed ; in this case rub the latter with olive oil, and bathe 
the whole with poppy fomentation. If the throat is sore, use a gar- 
gle of honey and vinegar, 1 tablespoonful of the former, 2 of the lat- 
ter, added to a \ pint of water or sage tea. If much affected, a 
blister should be applied to the neck. If there is much headache, 
cut the hair close, apply mustard poultices to the feet, and a spirit 
lotion to the head ; to reduce itching, apply to the eruptions a lini- 
ment composed of lime water and linseed oil, equal quantities, or 
smear the pustules with cold cream ; to check diarrhea, give chalk 
mixture, with 5 drops of laudanum in each dose ; if perspirations 
are too copious when the eruptive fever has subsided, take acidu- 
lated drinks. Smearing the eruption with mercurial ointment, or 
puncturing each pustule, and absorbing the pus with wool or cotton, 
has bsen recommended to prevent the deep pitting which is so great 
a disfigurement to the face. Painting the face once or twice a day 
with glycerine is said to effectually prevent pitting. 

There is no disease more certainly and decidedly contagious than 
this ; after imbibing the poison, a period of twelve days generally 
elapses before the commencement of the fever, and during this time 
no inconvenience may be experienced. Beside breathing the efflu- 
via arising from a person attacked, small pox may be communicated 
by inoculation with the matter of its pustules, and, the resulting 
disease being of a milder character, this method was formerly much 
practised to guard persons from a spontaneous attack ; since, how- 
ever, the introduction of vaccination by Dr. Jenner this practice has 
been abandoned. This disease is frequently epidemic, and the sta- 
tistics of its different visitations show that the mortality of those 
attacked who have not been vaccinated is one in four ; whilst of those 
who have, it is not one in four hundred and fifty ; a strong argu- 
ment this for vaccination where the disease prevails. 



DISEASES OP THE SKIN. 45 

The following instructions for controlling small-pox contagion, 
enforced at Lowell, proved effective in arresting the spread of the 
disease : 

ISOLATION. 

1. Persons attacked with small pox or varioloid, and all infected 
clothing of the same, must be immediately separated from all other 
persons liable to contract or communicate the disease. 

2. Nurses, and the infected clothing of such persons, must be 
treated as in quarantine. 

3. None but nurses and the attending physicians will be allowed 
access to persons sick with small pox or varioloid. 

4. Patients must not leave the premises until they, together with 
the bedding and clothing, have been disinfected, and permission 
given by some physician of the Board of Health. 

DISINFECTION. 

1. All bedding and personal clothing infected with the small-pox 
contagion, which can without injury, must be washed in boiling 
water. 

2. Infected feather beds, pillows, and hah- mattresses, must have 
contents taken out and thoroughly fumigated, and ticks washed in 
boiling water. 

3. Infected straw and excelsior mattresses must have contents re- 
moved and buried, and ticks washed in boiling water. 

4. Infected blankets, sheets, and pillow cases, and all articles in 
contact with or used by the patient, must be washed in boiling- 
water. 

5. Personal clothing and bedding — particularly comforters — which 
cannot be wet without injury, must be disinfected by baking or fu- 
migation. 

6. Instead of using boiling water as the disinfectant, the follow- 
ing chemical process with cold water may sometimes be conveniently 
substituted : Dissolve into a wash-tub containing 8 gallons of cold 
water 1 pound of the hyposulphite of soda. Immerse all the ar- 
ticles of clothing and bedding used by or around the patient, and, 
when thoroughly saturated, add -J a pint of sulphuric acid, first di- 
luting it with 1 gallon of water. Stir the whole, and allow the 
clothes to soak an hour ; then wring them out, rinse three times in 
cold water, and hang them out to dry. 



46 OUE FAMILY DOCTOR. 

7. Disinfection of houses, clothing, and bedding by fumigation 
may be effected by filling the closed room with the fumes of sul- 
phurous acid or of chlorine gas. The first can be accomplished by 
pouring ^ a pound of sulphur in an iron dish, pouring on a little al- 
cohol, and igniting it, thereby causing the sulphur to burn and give 
off sulphurous acid fumes. The second can be accomplished by 
moistening with water 4 pounds of chloride of lime, contained in an 
earthen or wooden vessel, and adding thereto a pint of muriatic acid, 
to liberate the chlorine gas. Clothing and bedding, to be well fu- 
migated, must be separated as much as possible, and hung upon the 
walls and furniture of the room, so that everything will be thor- 
oughly permeated. The rooms should be kept closed an hour or 
two after being charged with gas by either method, and then thor 
oughly ventilated. No attempt should be made to fumigate the 
sick room in this manner while it is occupied by the patient 

8. On the recovery, removal, or death of every case of small po} 
or varioloid, the clothing, bedding, and premises will be disinfected, 
in accordance with the above rules, under the direction of one os 
more physicians employed for the purpose by the Board of Health. 

9. The physicians employed in disinfecting may cause removal^ 
destruction, or burial of such infected bedding and clothing 1 as may, 
in their judgment, seem to require it, of which they shall keep a 
correct record, with date, kind of article, whether new or old, esti- 
mated value, name, and residence of the owner. No person shall 
burn any contagioned articles unless authorized by the Board of 
Health. 

10. The sick room should be kept well ventilated, with such pre- 
cautions as not to expose the patient to direct currents of air, and 
should be occasionally fumigated, slightly, by throwing upon a 
heated surface a few teaspoonsful of a solution of carbolic acid, 
made by dissolving 1 ounce of crystalized carbonic acid in a quart 

,fof rain water. Pieces of cloth may be soaked in this solution and 
suspended in the room, also in the hall-ways adjoining. All vessels 
for receiving discharges of any kind from patients must be emptied 
immediately after use and cleansed with boiling water. When con- 
valescence has taken place, the patient must be thoroughly washed 
in warm water and soap, and put on fresh, clean clothes through- 
out. 

11. Privies, water closets, garbage tubs, water pipes, and all kinds 
of drains and foul places in houses, stables, and yards, may be dis- 



DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 47 

infected with a solution made as follows : Dissolve 8 pounds of cop- 
peras (sulphate of iron) in 5 gallons of water ; add 1 quart of the 
solution of carbolic acid, and mix well. 

12. It should be remembered that there are no substitutes for 
pure air and water. Let fresh air and sunlight purify every place 
they can reach ; open and dry all cellars ; keep the grounds about 
dwellings dry and clean, and let personal and domestic cleanliness 
be everywhere observed. 

Vaccination and re-vaccination are of paramount importance, af- 
fording the best attainable protection against small pox, and miti- 
gating its severity when not preventing an attack. 

PREVENTION OF SMALL POX. 

At a time when small pox is prevailing, it is important to under- 
stand the most reliable preventive as well as curative measures in 
its management. Small pox is propagated by specific contagion or 
miasm, and by direct inoculation of the virus, or lymph, which ac- 
cumulates in the pustules. The miasma of small pox is multiplied 
by heat, moisture, and foul air. Thus, a small quantity of the ma- 
laria, in a hot, damp, and filthy house, will increase so rapidly that 
the entire building will soon become a magazine of poison. The 
poison can not develop itself in a pure and dry atmosphere, hence 
the first and most important preventive means against this loath- 
some disease is to remove all filth and moisture from dwellings. 
The second preventive measure consists in keeping the functions of 
the body active. This can be accomplished by avoiding excesses, 
by baths, a regular diet, and strict attention to cleanliness in every 
respect. Third, by vaccination, when properly performed. The 
best lymph to be used for vaccinating is that which is prepared in 
Germany and imported in quills. It should be introduced by 
slightly scarifying the arm or calf of the leg (not sufficiently to 
draw blood), and, applying the lymph, allowing it to remain until it 
is entirely dry. If the first application does not take effect, it 
should be repeated every two or three days. In order to have vac- 
cination certainly protective against small pox, it must produce the 
following constitutional symptoms : Light pain in the head, aching 
of the muscles, chilly sensations, and some fever, together with the 
development of a well-defined pustule, which will appear first as a 
small blister, then fill with grayish lymph, will dry, and become of 



48 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

a mahogany color, and upon scaling off will leave a pit. Inflamma- 
tion may appear around the pustule, but as that occurs frequently 
as the result of the scarifying, it is not a positive indication that the 
vaccine disease has been perfectly developed. If the vaccination 
has been perfect, the system is as much protected as it can be, and 
observations prove that it is a preventive of small pox in ninety- 
three cases out of one hundred, and in the remainder it modifies it. 
The treatment of small pox should always be entrusted to a skillful 
physician, and. under judicious management, it is by no means a 
fatal malady. 

TETTER. 

After a slight feverish attack, lasting two or three days, clusters 
of small, transparent pimples, filled sometimes with a colorless, 
sometimes with a brownish lymph, appear on the cheeks or fore- 
head, or on the extremities, and at times on the body. The pimples 
are about the size of a pea, and break after a few days, when a 
brown or yellow crust is formed over them, which falls off about the 
tenth day, leaving the skin red and irritable. The eruption is at- 
tended with heat, itching, tingling, fever, and restlessness, especially 
at night. Ringworm is a curious form of tetter, in which the in- 
flamed patches assume the form of a ring. 

Treatment. — The treatment should consist of light diet and gen- 
tle laxatives. If the patient be advanced in life, and feeble, a tonic 
will be desirable. For a wash, white vitriol, 1 dram ; rose-water, 3 
ounces, mixed ; or an ointment made of elder-flower ointment, 1 
ounce ; oxide of zinc, 1 dram. 

Humid Tetter 

Is an eruption of minute, round pimples, about the size of a pin's 
head, filled with colorless fluid, and terminating in scurf. It is pre- 
ceded by languor, faintness, perspiration, and a pricking of the skin. 
Another species of this disease is called sun-heat, which is an erup- 
tion of a white or brownish color, which generally terminates in yel- 
low scabs. It occurs only in summer, and affects those parts which 
are uncovered. 

In still another species, the eruption is attended with pain, heat, 
itching, intense smarting, and a swelling of the affected part. When 
the blisters break, the water runs out, irritates and inflames the skin, 



DISEASES OP THE SKIN. 49 

Treatment. — Low diet, cooling drinks, gentle pugatives, and warm 
baths. In old chronic cases, apply externally either lime water, or 
corrosive snblimate in a wash proportioned of 5 grains to 1 pint of 
soft water. In the last two forms of the affection apply nitrate of 
silver, in solution, to the parts. 

Crusted Tetter. 

This eruption consists at first of slightly elevated pustules or pim- 
ples, closely congregated, with an inflamed border. These break, 
and the surface becomes red, excoriated, shining, and full of pores, 
through which a thin, unhealthy fluid is poured out, which gradu- 
ally hardens into dark, yellowish-green scabs. When this tetter in- 
vades the head or scalp, it causes the hair to fall off, and is termed 
a scall. 

Treatment. — Vapor bath and water dressing. The crusts should 
be removed by a weak lye, made from hard-wood ashes or potash. ; 
then an ointment should be applied, made of mild nitrate of mercury 
ointment, 3 drams ; sugar of lead, 16 grains ; rose-water ointment 
1 ounce. 

Papulous Scall 

Is a mattery pimple developed in a highly inflamed skin. The blis- 
ters are about the size of a split pea, and are surrounded by a red 
ring. They are generally separate, not clustered like crusted tetter. 
They are scattered over various parts of the body, and are followed 
by a hard, black crust, or by a sore. The disease is either acute or 
chronic. The chronic form is found in weakly children, or persons 
reduced by sickness or low living. 

Treatment. — For the acute form, low diet, gentle laxatives, cold 
sponge-bath on the sound parts, and an ointment of oxide of zinc, 
1 dram ; spermaceti ointment, 1 ounce, mixed. For the chronic 
form, tonics should be given internally, and the above ointment 
used. 

WARTS and CORNS. 

The wart is an excrescence from the cutis or outer skin — a horny 
tumor formed upon it ; it is not generally so painful as it is disa- 
4 



50 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

greeable and unsightly, coming nearly always upon the hands, or 
some other conspicuous place. The best treatment is to touch it 
with some caustic, or escharotic. Nitrate of silver is the most ef- 
fectual, but this turns the skin black, which is in many cases very 
objectionable. Caustic potash will answer the purpose, so will ace- 
tic acid, if of extra strength, and nitric acid. The application 
should be made daily, and the decayed part pared off, or cut with 
scissors. If it can be conveniently done, a ligature of silk tied 
tightly round the base of the wart will cause it to decay, and event- 
ually drop off. Another simple method is to bind a leaf of a house 
leek upon it, from which you have removed the skin, for a few 
nights in succession, and the wart will disappear. 

Corns. 

There are few persons who have not suffered from these trouble- 
some excrescences, which arise from a thickened state of the outer, 
or scarf skin, caused generally by the pressure or friction of tight 
or ill-fitting shoes ; the sensible, that is the true skin, feeling the 
pressure, endeavors to protect itself by throwing up a sort of de- 
fence, which assumes a conical form, having the apex within press- 
ing upon the tender skin, and often causing intolerable pain, and 
sometimes inflammation to such an extent as to form an abscess at 
the point. 

Treatment. — In the treatment of corns, the first object should be 
to remove the exciting cause ; comfortable, well-fitting boots or 
shoes should be substituted for those of an opposite character, and 
the corn, after the feet have been soaked in warm water to soften it, 
should be pared carefully away, particular care being taken not to 
wound the more sensitive part. When the outer surface is removed, 
there will be perceived in the centre a small white spot, which 
should be carefully dug out with a pointed knife or pair of scissors. 
"When this, too, is removed, cover the seat of the corn with a small 
circular piece of thick, soft leather spread with soap Or diachylon 
plaster, and leaving a small hole in the centre, corresponding with 
that from whence the root of the corn has been taken. Should any 
of this latter remain so as to cause irritation, apply to it, every sec- 
ond or third day, a piece of lunar caustic, scraped to a point, and 
slightly moistened. Some persons apply strong acetic or other 



DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 51 

acid ; but this is not so effectual, and more likely to cause inflam- 
mation, which will be best allayed by a warm poultice of bread 
crumbs, moistened with Goulard water, the foot being held up as 
much as possible, and the system kept in a cool state with saline 
aperients, etc. 

Soft Corns 

which form chiefly between the toes, are often very painful and 
troublesome ; let them be cut away as close as possible with a pair 
of scissors, and then dressed with rags wet with Goulard water, 
or a solution of sugar of lead ; ivy leaves form, for such, a cool, 
pleasant protection from friction ; they should be put on fresh ev- 
ery day. 

Beneath the corner of the nail of the great toe a peculiar kind of 
corn sometimes occurs ; it should be cut, or scraped out with the 
finger-nail, and caustic applied as above directed. Mere callosities 
of the skin on the hands and fingers are not corns, although often 
called so ; they have no roots and are not painful, therefore it is 
best not to interfere with them ; for if removed, others would come 
in their places, while the friction is kept up in which they originate. 

Under the several heads referred to, we have given such directions 
as are considered likely to be of service, in so far as domestic treat- 
ment may go. Let us now endeavor to impress upon our readers 
that, in all these diseases, cleanliness is the great curative desidera- 
tum ; without it all remedies will be of little avail. Very many skin 
diseases are owing entirely to the want of proper care and attention 
to sanitary rules, and few of them can be completely cured without 
a regular and systematic use of soap and water. 



52 OUE FAMILY DOCTOR. 



THE HEAD, BEAIN, AND NEBYES. 



THEIR ANATOMY, STRUCTURE, AND FUNCTIONS. 

The head is the upper or crowning part of the human frame, 
which is divided by anatomists into three principal divisions — the 
head, the trunk, and the extremities. It is with the first only that 
we have to do at present, with regard to the anatomical structure of 
which we may say, that it consists of the skull, or cranium, and the 
face — the former being, as it were, a case for the brain. It is com- 
posed of eight bones, connected together by sutures, or joinings, 
some having toothed or serrated margins, which fit into each other 
— some overlapping and others interlacing — a structure marvelous 
at once for its strength and lightness. Between the interior and ex- 
terior wall of the frontal or forehead bone are what are called the 
frontal sinuses, two hollow chambers, which cause those bulgings 
above the upper edges of the orbits ; and in the hollows beneath 
them lie, sheltered and protected, the eyes. Behind each ear there 
is also a bony prominence to which the powerful muscles are affixed, 
which are distinctly seen in the neck, whose lower ends are fixed to 
the top of the breast bones. These are intended to guard the en- 
trance to the internal ear, which is placed wholly within the hollow 
of the temporal bones. At the base of the skull is a round hole of 
considerable size, through which the spinal cord, or marrow, passes 
from the vertebrae to the brain. On either side of this hole are two 
smooth prominences, called condyles, which rest upon the tops of 
the uppermost vertebrae, and allow of a nedding motion to the head. 
Owing to the frequent modification by confluence, or joining to- 
gether, of the human bones, it is difficult at all times to specify the 
exact number in any given part, and this is more especially the case 
in that part which we are now considering. Collections of bones so 



THE HEAD, BKAIN, AND NEEVES. 



53 



PIG. 5. 



united have received a kind of generic name — thus we say the oc- 
cipital, the temporal bones, etc., and the constituents of these, which 
have received no specific name, are defined as processes. Thus we 
have the condyloid process of the 
occipital, and the styloid process of 
the temporal bone ; we also some- 
times speak of these aggregates of 
united bones as portions — for ex- 
ample, the petrous portion of the 
temporal bones, etc. At present, 
we will devote our attention more 
particularly to the general conform- 
ation of the head, and its frontal 
development or face. 

Of the head, then, that lofty dome 
in which thought sits enthroned — 
the capital of the beautifully and 
marvelously constructed pillar 
which God has set up in the tem- 
ple of His divinity, and illumined 
with the light of spiritual life and 
intelligence ! Of the head, the 
seat of sensation and the home of 
intellect, we have to speak, but not 
as much in relation to its psychol- 
ogy as its physiology. We have 
seen that the upper portion of it is 
the cranium or brain-case, into 
whose delicate membranes and tis- 
sues, and reticulated net-work of 
nerves, and veins, and arteries, we 
have already penetrated. Let us, 
therefore, now confine our attention 
to the outside of the bony structure 
here represented. 

In this case, as in many others 




The Anterior or Front 
Head, as shown in 
Skeleton. 



View of the 
the Human 



1, the frontal portion of the frontal bone ; 
2, the position of the nasal prominence, the 
hollow within which is shown, ihe cartilage 
which supports and forms the nose being 
mostly removed ; 3, over the orbit refers to 
the supra-orbital ridge ; 4, the optic fora- 
men ; 5 and 6, the sphenoidal and the spheno- 
maxillary fissures ; 7, lachrymal fossa in the 
lachrymal bone, where the nasal duct com- 
mences ; 4, 5, 6, and 7 refer to parts within 
the orbit ; 8, the opening of the anterior 
nares, divided into two parts by the vomer, 
on which tha cypher is placed ; 9, the infra- 
orbital foramen ; 10, malar bone : 11. syni- 
phosis of lower jaw ; 12, mental foramen ; 
13, ramus of lower jaw ; 14, parietal bone ; 
15, coronal suture ; 16. temporal bone ; 17, 
squamous suture ; 18, upper part of the 
great ala of the sphenoid bone ; 1!>, com- 



mencement of the temporal ridge ; 20. zy- 

throughout the work, we have given goma of the * em P oral 1>one < assisting to form 

- . O the, y.vcrnmntiV, nrp.Ti . 91 in n s+.ni rl nrnppua 

the scientific names of the various 



the zygomatic arch ; 21, mastoid process. 



parts, because we are desirous that our readers should have an op- 
portunity of becoming acquainted with these anatomical terms if 
they wished to do so. 



54 



OUR FAMILY DOCTOK. 



FIG. 6. 



Here, then, we have the skull — that chamber of the soul, as it has 
been well termed, and of which more will be said under the proper 
head — presented to us as it was to Hamlet, when he exclaimed, 
"Alas, poor Yorick !" and moralized upon the fine intelligence that 

once dwelt in those now ten- 
antless cavities. Who can look 
upon the broad expanse of the 
forehead without thinking of 
the busy brain which once 
thrilled, and throbbed, and vi- 
brated to every sensation of 
the body, or emotion of the 
mind 1 — at those hollow orbits 
from which once flashed forth 
the light of intellect, the fire 
of anger, or beamed the gen- 
tle look of love and affection, 
and at which entered the lu- 
minous rays, bearing visions 
of the outer world to the in- 
quiring soul within ? — at the 

broken remains of that once 
The Lower Surface or Base of the Brain. 

a is the cerebrum or brain proper, occupying finel ? chiseled and shapely or- 

the upper part of the cranium, and divided into gan which Once adorned the 

Wo hemispheres, each of which is subdivided into n j ± -i vi i-i i 

an anterior, middle, and posterior lobe; be, be- faCe ' and st °° d llke a vestibule 

tween these lobes, are fissures or boundaries to the great hall of the temple, 

termed clefts or solci, which penetrate to the depth n i_ ___\ • i. jl ti 

of about an iuch. The two hemispheres of the through which perfumes, like 

cerebellum or little brain, which occupies the messengers, were ever passing, 
lower or back part of the cranium, are marked d. ' ' 4- f A V V.+ +"U 

They differ in form and arrangement from the su- aS ministers OI dellgUt or the 

perior portion, being composed of flattened lami- Warners of danger ; at those 
nee or layers ; e is the medulla oblongta, very much 
the smallest portion of the mass, which passes out 
of the cavity of the cranium into that of the ver- 
tebral canal, being a continuation of the spinal 
cord, of which the whole brain may be considered 
as an expansion ; g, I, /, o, mark the shape and,po- 
sition of certain cerebral nerves; h, olfactory j d them, and Contrasted 

so beautifully with their pearly 
whiteness ? Where, now, is that organ of speech which once dis- 
coursed so eloquently, counseled so wisely, or admonished so kindly 
and affectionately ? But we must not pause over such reflections as 
these. Let us clothe the naked skull, fill up the vacant spaces, and 




rows of gleaming teeth, with- 
out thinking of the friendly 
smile, and the ruby lips which 
once half hid and half dis- 



THE HEAD, BRAIN, AND NERVES. 



55 



view the head as we see it daily around us— as it is 
with toiling, rejoicing, sorrowing men, clothed and 
covered with skin and hair, provided with organs of 
most beautiful and complicated structure, and, like 
those of the rest of the body, well adapted to an- 
swer the necessary purpose of man's duplex nature 
— bodily and spiritual. 

THE BRAIN. 

This is a collective term, signifying those parts of 
the nervous system, exclusive of the nerves them- 
selves, which are contained within the cranium. The 
human brain, the average weight of which is three 
pounds in the male, and four or five ounces less in the 
female, is divided into three distinct parts, called the 
cerebrum, cerebellum, and medulla oblongata ; these 
several parts are invested and protected by membranes, 
and the whole together constitute the encephalus — 
Greek for within the head. Of the membraneous cov- 
erings which enclose that soft, pulpy, organic mass, 
two have been called mater (mother), from the old no- 
tion that they gave rise to all the other membranes of 
the body ; these are the pia mater and dura mater — 
the former is a very delicate tissue, covered in every 
part with minute blood-vessels, which are, in fact, the 
nutrient arteries of the brain, before entering which 
they divide and subdivide upon the external surface to 
an extreme degree of minuteness, so as to prevent the 
blood entering upon the tender cerebral substance in 
too forcible a manner. The dura mater is a much 
stronger and coarser membrane, which lines the inner 
portion of the skull, and forms an external covering 
for the brain and its appendages. It gives off several 
elongations, which are called processes, and which de- 
scend between certain portions of the brain ; that 
termed the superior longitudinal process is the most 
remarkable, on account of its size — it extends from 
the fore to the back part of the skull, between the lat- 
ter halves of the cerebellum, and, on account of its 
shape, is called falx cerebri, meaning scythe-like. 



FIG. 



\c 



S 



Spinal Cord. 



56 



OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 



pig. 8. 



It has been well observed that, taken as a whole, the nervous mass 
constituting the brain is strictly symmetrical — that is, the different 
parts of which it is composed are so arranged that, if the organ be 
supposed to be divided into two lateral halves by a plane passing 
perpendicularly through the centre, the parts placed on each side of 
this plane have a perfect correspondence with each other, and form f 

in fact, reduplications 
of each other. The 
principal parts of the 
cerebral mass are thus 
double, but they are 
all united in the me- 
dian line with their 
halves of the opposite 
side. This union is 
effected by medullary 
bands of various sizes, 
and fissures, which pass 
from one to the other, 
called commissures. 
There are also ven- 
tricles, by which the 
cerebral parts are sep- 

a, o, c, the cerebrum ; d, the cerebellum or little brain ; e, /, 
spinal marrow ; g, pons varolii ; h, i, cranial bones ; k, optic arated from each other 
thalamus ; m, frontal sinus ; p, hard palate ; g, the larynx ; z, q-j. cgrfairi "places ' four 
mouth of Eustachian tube. 

of them are commonly 
enumerated ; they communicate with each other ; the two largest 
are termed lateral ventricles ; they pass into the interior of the cer- 
ebellum. 

Under the microscope, the cerebral substance is found to be com- 
posed of pulp containing both cells and tubes ; the outer portion of 
it is termed cineritious, on account of its brownish-grey color ; by 
some it is termed cortical, from cortex — bark — because it forms, as 
it were, the first coat of the mass ; by others, glandular or secretory, 
on the supposition that it is of the nature of a gland whose office is 
that of secretion. It consists of fine cellular membrane, sustaining 
and connecting a complete net-work of small blood-vessels. Larger 
in quantity, and firmer in consistence, is the inner substance termed 
white or medullary ; it is said to consist of minute fibres, woven to- 
gether like plaited straw. In man the brain is much larger than in 




Vertical Section of the Brain. 




THE HEAD, BKAIN, AND NEKVES. 57 

that of the inferior animals— that of an ox scarcely weighs a pound. 
It is in the human brain chiefly that those great inequalities of sur- 
face exist — those " developments" on which phrenologists build 
their theories ; they are not found in the hare or rabbit, nor in the 
Kodentia generally ; they are neither so 
bold nor so deep in the ox as in the 
horse, nor so much so in the horse as in 
the dog, seeming to increase or diminish 
very much with the ratio of intelligence, 
as does also the bulk of the brain ; in 
fishes it is very small, and in the inver- 
tebrate animals diminishing to mere ner- 
vous ganglions. It is curious to observe 
that while in the chaffinch, or robin, The Cerebellum, or Small 
among birds, it approaches to the propor- g**' as seen from the 
tionate size of that of the human being, 

in the goose it bears a very much smaller proportion to the bulk of 
the body. 

The following are the proportions of the different substances that 
compose the grey and white matter of the brain : 

GEET. WHITE. 

Water, 85.2 73.0 

Albuminous matter, 7.5 9.9 

Colorless fat, 1.0 13.9 

Bed fat, 3.7 0.9 

Osmazome and lactates, 1.4 1.0 

Phosphates, 1.2 1.3 



100.0 100.0 

THE NERVES. 

These are cord-like substances arising from the brain or spinal 
marrow, and distributed to every part of the system. They are of 
two kinds — one white and opaque in appearance, and presenting, 
under the microscope, a tubular or fibrous structure, and the other 
of a reddish-grey color, semi-transparent, and consisting of cells or 
vesicles filled with granular matter ; these latter kind of nerves are 
but sparingly distributed in proportion to the former, and appear to 



58 



OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 



form the apparatus by which the nervous force or energy is gene- 
rated, to be conducted through the tubular substance to the points 
cf action ; we may shortly state, then, of these two kinds of nerves, 
that one gives feeling and the other motion ; and of the whole ner- 
vous system of the hu- 
man body, that it is 
composed of the brain 
and cranial nerves ; the 
spinal cord, and spinal 
nerves, and the sympa- 
thetic nerves. Of the 
structure of the brain 
we have already spoken ; 
of the spinal cord or 
marrow we may briefly 
say, that it is composed 
of a whitish substance 
similar to that of the 
brain, and is covered 
with a sheath or mem- 
brane, which extends 




Mesial Surface of the Brain. 



Fig. 10 represents the mesial surface of a longitudinal 
section of the brain. 1. Inner surface of left hemisphere. 
2. Divided centre of the cerebellum, showing the arbor vi- 
tae. 3. Medulla oblongata. 4. Corpus callosum. 5. Fornix. 
6. One of the crura of the fornix. 7. One of the corpora 
aibicantia, pea-shaped bodies between the crura cerebri- from the former organ 
8 Septra , lucieum 9. Velum ^erpositum. 10. Section t h h the h j 

of the middle commissure m the third ventricle. 11. Sec- 
tion of the anterior commissure. 12. Section of the poste- 
rior commissure. 13. Corpora quadrigemina. 14. Pineal 
gland. 15. Aqueduct of Sylvius. 16. Fourth ventricle. 
17. Pons varolii, through which are seen passing the di- 
verging fibres of the corpora pyrainidalia. 18. Cms cere- 
bri of the left side ; the third nerve arising from it. 19. 
Tuber cinereum, from which projects the infundibulum, rOUndeCl by its Sneatn, 
having the pituitary gland appended to its extremity. 20. marked bv the letters 
One of the optic nerves. 21. The left olfactory nerve ter- _,-„., .. . . 

minating anteriorly in a rounded bulb. -^ -^ ^ e COrcl ltsell be- 

ing represented by A ; 
B is a spinal nerve, formed by the union of the motor root (C) and 
the sensitive root (D) where the knot or ganglion is seen. 

The sympathetic nerve consists of a series of these ganglia or 
knots, which extend down each side of the spinal column, forming a 
kind of chain throughout its whole length, communicating to both 
the cranial and spinal nerves, and distributing branches to all the 
internal organs 

These nerves, . then, are undoubtedly the organs of feeling and 
sensation of every kind — through them the mind operates upon the 



length of the spinal col- 
umn. In Fig. 12 we 
have a representation of 
the spinal cord, sur- 



THE HEAD, BRAIN, AND NERVES. 



59 



FIG 11. 



body. The intelligent mind, whatever that may be, whose seat is in 
the brain, toills that a certain action shall be performed, and in- 
stantly through the main channel of communication, the spinal cord, 

the message flies, branching oft 
here or there, according to the di- 
rection in which the work is to be 
done, and setting in motion the 
muscles which perform it. 



fig. 12. 




Section of the Brain and Spinal Cord, 
showing the relation of the Cranial 
Nerves to these organs, and to those 
of the senses to which they belong. 

1, the cerebrum ; 2, the cerebellum, with 
its foliated portion, sometimes termed arbor 
vitas ; 3 is the medulla oblongata (oblong 
marrow), which forms the top of the spinal 
cord, which is represented by 4 and 5 ; the 
first pair, or nerves of smell, are marked by 
6 ; the second pair, or nerves of sight, by 7 
and 8; the third, fourth, and sixth pairs, 
which pass to the muscles of the eye, 9, 10, 
12 ; the fifth pair, nerves of taste, which are 
also the sensitive nerves of the teetb, 11 ; 
the seventh pair, passing to the muscles of 
the face, 13 ; the eighth pair, nerves of hear- 
ing, 14 ; the ninth, tenth, eleventh, and 
twelfth pairs, which pass to the tongue, la- 
rynx, and neck, 15, 16, 18, 19 ; and 20 indi- 
cates two of the spinal nerves, which latter 
are arranged in thirty-two pairs, each aris. 
ing by two roots, the one called the anterior 
or motor root, and the other the posterior or 
sensitive root. 




Fig. 15 will give our readers a 
good idea of the way in which the 
nerves spread and ramify through- 
out the body ; it represents a back 
view of the brain and spinal cord. 
The spine is the great main chan- 
nel of nervous sensation, and the 
principal support to the bony 
frame ; this is one of the most im- 
portant parts of the human struc- 
ture ; it is sometimes called the 
vertebral column, being composed 
of a number of vertebrae, or short? 
single bones, so named from their 
peculiar construction, the term 
coming from the Latin verto, to 
turn — these bones turning upon 
each other in such a manner as to give flexibility to the spine, which 
is the first developed portion of the skeleton in man, and the centre 
around which all the other parts are produced. " In its earliest 
formation," says Wilson, " it is a simple cartilaginous cylinder, sur 
rounding and protecting the primitive trace of the nervous system ; 



60 



OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 



FIG. 13. 




Ganglion of a Sym 
pathetic Nerve. 



but as it advances in growth and organization, it becomes divided 
into distinct pieces, which constitute vertebrae." 

These admit of division into true and false — 
the true vertebrae are twenty-four in number, and 
are classed according to the three regions of the 
trunk which they occupy into cervical, dorsal, and 
lumbar — the first having seven, the second twelve, 
and the third five pieces. The false vertebrae 
consist of nine pieces united into two bones, 
called the sacrum and the coccyx — the first hav- 
ing five, and the last four pieces. 

By the aid of Fig. 16 the peculiarities of con- 
struction will be best understood. The upper 
vertebra of the cervical region — termed the atlas, 
because it is the immediate support of the head 
—differs somewhat from this in shape ; so also 
does the second, called the axis, and the seventh 
or last, termed prominens. 

In the lumbar vertebrae are the largest pieces of the whole col- 
umn ; here the body is large and broad, and thicker before than be- 
hind; the pedicles very strong, and the laminae short, thick, and 
broad, as is also the spinous process. 

Fig. 19 represents the coccyx (Greek for cuckoo), so-called from 
its fancied resemblance to a cuckoo's beak ; it forms the caudal ter- 
mination or tail of the vertebral column. 

Thus we may understand that the vertebral column, as a whole, 
represents two pyramids applied base to base, the upper being formed 
by all the vertebrae from the second cervical to the last lumbar, and 
the inferior by the sacrum and coccyx. 

Viewed from the side this column presents several curves, the 
principal of which is situated in the dorsal region, the concavity 
looking forward ; in the cervical and lumbar regions the column is 
convex in front ; in the pelvic an anterior concave curve is formed 
by the sacrum and coccyx ; a slight lateral curve also exists in the 
dorsal region, having its convexity toward the right side. 

Did the bodies of the vertebrae rest immediately upon each other, 
there would be a rigid column which could not be bent in any di- 
rection without displacement of the bones ; but, to provide against 
this, they are separated from each other by very elastic " interver- 
tebral cartilages," which yield to every motion of the body, and pre- 



THE HEAD, BRAIN, AND NERVES. 



61 



vent that shock to the brain which must occur at every step taken, 
were not some such provision made. Then, again, the vertebrse 
thus beautifully fitted into each other, and resting upon soft, yield- 
ing cushions, are braced together by a series of ligaments of differ- 



FIG. 15. 




Fig. 14 represents the micro- 
scopic elements of the nervous 
structure. 1. Mode of termina- 
tion of white nerve-fibres in loops ; 
three of these loops are simple, 
the fourth is convoluted. The 
latter is found in situations where 
a high degree of sensation exists. 
2. A white nerve-fihre from the 
brain, showing the varicose or 
knotty appearance produced by 
traction or pressure. 3. A white 
nerve-fibre enlarged to show ita 
structure, a tubular envelope and 
a contained substance — neurilem- 
ma and neurine. 4. A nerve-cell 
showing its capsule and granular 
contents. 5. Its nucleus contain- 
ing a nucleolus. 6. A nerve-cell, 
from which several processes are 
given off; it contains also a nu- 
cleated nucleus. 




The Nervous System. 

1, the cerebrum. 2, cerebellum. 3, 
spinal cord. 4, nerves of the face. 5, 
tne brachial plexus or union of nerves. 
6, 7, 8, 9, nerves of the arm. 10, those 
that pass under the ribs. 11, lumbar 
plexus. 12, sacral plexus. 13, 14, 15, 16, 
nerves of the lower limbs. 



ent kinds, which, while they allow of all necessary motions, yet re- 
strain it from going too far. By means of these and the muscles, 
which are mostly attached in a longitudinal direction, and chiefly to 
the posterior portions of the vertebrse, the equilibrium of the spine, 
and the motions of the body generally, are effected. 



62 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

Each vertebra having a triangular opening corresponding in posi 
tion with the rest, there runs through the whole of the column a 
canal, which is filled with the nerve substance and membranes, com- 
posing what is called the spinal cord, that 
fig. 16. communicates with the brain through an 

^--""' " *"**>> opening in the base of the skull. 

\ It is scarcely necessary for us here to go 
\ more deeply into the structure of the ner- 
&£ \ vous fibres and cells, else might we state 
<. \ many curious and interesting facts concern- 

' v ^3*sa a jW+iK)/ inef this part of the animal economy. Some 

o &tonmk- ^J idea of their nature and the beauty of their 

9)2(4 arrangement may be seen by the accom- 

^mW'l panying diagrams. Like the veins and ar- 

^SS^S-t teries, they spring from great main chan- 

/^ml^W' s nels, which may be compared to the stem 

^SS^f -,o and arms of a tree, and branch out from 

/SB^iW """" thence m every direction, dividing and sub- 

SjSSfc..-* dividing into the most minute ramifications 

5SSS5----14 — so ^ na ^ y° u can no ^ so mucn as P r ick any 

b ^'^B p3B ----'g part of the surface of the body but pain is 

$B3!SL-- - 1S felt, a sure evidence that a nerve has been 

^pfe^J[— " 11 touched ; nay, so much as a breeze cannot 

^^^^S'-' 8 blow upon the body, nor the wing of an 

SS^^Sl""" 19 insect touch it, but the nerves give infor- 

/^f^^ft"' 7,0 mation thereof to the brain, and the mind 

/«W^^"''' 11 * s ma ^ e aware of the cause, and takes its 

^®F^B measures accordingly. Delicate string's are 

° — ^l^2i^Bi these nerves oi an instrument of exquisite 

^SHfel™'''' 23 sensibility — so delicate as to be sometimes 

l|P5E™f 9± invisible to the unassisted vision, that in 

S'/^^N 5 ^ many parts we are only made aware of their 

( S J ^.i'' presence by the effects which they produce. 

( ( }~^ They take cognizance of the slightest 

\l~i sound, the faintest ray of light, the least 

S^ change in the constitution of the air we 

The Vertebral Column, breathe, and of the food we eat ; they are 

the vigilant sentinels ever watching to 
guard the body from danger ; the constant ministers to its pleas- 
ure and delight ; often they are attacked and abused, their fine sen- 



THE HEAD, BBAIN, AND NEKVES. 



63 



sibilities deadened and perverted, so that they become subject to 
disease, and avenge the injury done them by a train of the direst 
sufferings to which humanity is liable. 



fig. 17. 




A Central Cervical Vertebra, 
seen in the upper surface. 

1 is the body, concave in the mid- 
dle, and rising on each side into a 
sharp ridge. 2, the lamina of which 
there is one on each side, com- 
mencing at posterior part of the 
body by a pedicle (3), and expand- 
ing and arching backward to meet 
the other, the two enclosing a fora- 
men or opening through which the 
spinal cord passes. 4 is the bifiid 
spinous process, and 5 the bifid 
transverse process : these are both 
intended for the attachment of 
muscles ; it is the succession of 
the former projecting along the 
middle line of the bach, which has 
given rise to the common name of 
the vertebral column — the spine. 
6 marks a vertebral foramen — 
there is a corresponding one on 
the other side, and through these 
pass the vertebral artery and 
vein, and plexus of nerves. 7 and 
8 are the superior and inferior ar- 
ticular processes, the first looking 
upAvard and backward, the last 
downward and forward : of these 
there are four in each vertebra ; 
they are designed to articulate 
with the vertebra above and be- 
low. 



A Lateral or Side View of a 
Dorsal Vertebra. 

1; the body. 2 2, articular facets 
for the heads of the ribs. 3, ped- 
icle. 4 and 5, superior and inferior 
intervertebral notch. 6, the spi- 
nous process. 7 is the extremity 
of the transverse process, marked 
by an articular surface, for the ex- 
tremity of a lib. 8 and 9, the two 
superior and two inferior verticu- 
lar processes. 



FIG. 20. 



The Coccyx. 

1, 2, 3, and 4 are the 
four pieces of bone com- 
posing it. 5 5,the trans- 
verse processes of the 
front pieces. 6, articu- 
lar surface for the ex- 
tremity of the sacrum, 
which is the triangular 
bone composed of five 
false vertebra, forming 
the base of the column. 
7 7, the cornua or horns 
which articulate with 
the sacral cornua. 




the Skin. 



Nerves of the Fapillse of 

A very highly magnified view of the terminal loops of the sensitive nerves as they rise in 
the rows of papilla, giving sensibility to all parts of the body. 



64 



OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 



FIG. 21. 




Description of Fig. 21.— I. Frontal branch of the fifth nerve of the brnin -which bestows 
sensation alone. II. Superior maxillary, or that branch of the fifth nerve which supplies the 
upper jaw, and which, like the last, arising from the sensitive root, bestows sensation alone. 
III. Mental or inferior maxillary branch of the fifth nerve. This also comes from the sensitive 
root. It is called mental, because it is involved in that expression which indicates the emo- 
tions of the mind. IV. Temporal branches of the same fifth nerve. They are distributed on 
the temples, and are for sensation. V. The only branch of the fifth nerve which arises from 
the smaller or motor root, and assists in the motion of those muscles which are employed in 
mastication or chewing. VI, VII, VIII, IX. These are spinal nerves — the first of the series 
which come out between the ver-tebra, in the whole length of the spine, to supply the body 
generally with motion and sensation. A, The facial nerve. It is situated in the front of the 
ear, and is the motor nerve of the features. It sends branches (a) to the muscles of the fore- 
head and eyebrows. Branches (b) to the eyelids. Branches (c) to the muscles which move the 
nostrils and upper lip. Branches (d) to the lower lip. Branches (e) going down to the side of 
the neck. Connections (/) with the spinal nerves of the neck. A nerve ((/) to a portion of 
the muscle that is in the back of the head, and to muscles of the ear. B. The nervus vagus, 
or the wandering nerve, so named from its extensive distribution. This is the grand respira- 
tory nerve. C. The spinal accessory nerve. J) The ninth nerve, which is the motor nerve 
of the tongue. E The nerve which supplies the diaphragm. F. Branch of the sympathetic 
nerve. G^ A branch of the nervus vagus which goes to the superior portion of the larynx 
or windpipe. H. Another branch of the vagus, which goes to the inferior portion of the 1^- 
rynx. I. The nerve which goes to the tongue and upper part of the gullet called the pharynx. 



THE HEAD, BRAIN, AND NERVES. 65 

S 

DISEASES OF THE HEAD, BRAIN, AND NERVES. 

APOPLEXY. 

This is deprivation of life or motion by a sudden stroke or blow ; 
it is one of the most awful and appaling modes of sudden death ; 
in an instant a healthful and vigorous man is smitten down — one 
who has exhibited no signs of decay or disease — who has perhaps 
received no premonitory warning, lies before us motionless and 
stark. 

Apoplexy may be either cerebral — proceeding from congestion or 
rupture of the brain — or pulmonary — proceeding from hemorrhage 
into the parenchyma of the lungs. The first is its more common 
form, and this may be spoken of under four heads : first, when it is 
sudden and violent at once ; second, when it is comparatively slight 
at the commencement, and progressively increases in severity ; 
third, when it commences in apoplexy and terminates in paralysis ; 
fourth, when it commences in the latter, and terminates in the 
former. 

Causes. — The causes of apoplexy are either predisposing or ex- 
citing ; among the first may be named, first : Sex — men are more li- 
able to it than women, because they are more subject to its exciting 
causes, of which we shall presently speak ; second : Age — it is very 
rare in childhood, rare also in youth, most common between the 
ages of forty and seventy — rare much beyond the latter age ; third : 
Bodily Conformation — the man of sanguine and plethoric tempera- 
ment, with large head, short neck, and full chest, is most liable to 
its attack, although one of the opposite state and condition of sys- 
tem is sometimes smitten down with it ; fourth : Mode of Life — per- 
sons of sedentary habits, who live luxuriously, are its frequent vic- 
tims ; fifth : Suppression of Evacuations or Eruptions — as the piles, 
perspiration, healing of a seton or a wound ; sixth : Mental Anxiety 
— such as a long continuance of harassing fears, business perplexi- 
ties, grief, or any violent emotion or passions. All these are predis- 
posing causes of apoplexy, to which it has been said that the studi- 
ous are more liable than others ; but this is an error, as the history 
of lawyers, judges, and philosophers, ancient and modern, is suffi- 
cient to show. Persons of advanced age, who take rich and stimu- 
lating diet in more than sufficient quantity, and whose intellectual 
faculties are exercised but little, are those most frequently carried 
5 



66 OUR FAMILY DOCTOK. 

off by this embodiment of the Greek idea of the " skeleton at a 
feast." The most powerful exciting causes of apoplexy, then, are 
intemperance, whether in eating or drinking, as well as violent exer- 
tions of the mind and body — whatever, in short, tends to determine 
the blood with an undue impetus to the brain or impedes its return 
from it, is an invitation to this dreadful destroyer to step in and ar- 
rest the vital current in its flow, as the breath of frost stays the 
water of the river. 

Symptoms. — Apoplexy may be known by the patient falling down 
in a state of insensibility or stupor, out of which it is impossible to 
rouse him by any of the ordinary means ; tha face is generally 
flushed, the breathing difficult and stertorous ; the upper lip-margin 
is projected at each exjoiration ; the veins of the head and temples 
protrude as though overfilled, the skin is covered with perspiration, 
and the eyes are fixed and blood-shot ; sometimes, however, the face 
is pale, with a look of misery and dejection ; and the pulse, instead 
of being full and hard, is weak and intermitting. 

Treatment. — This, of course, must vary considerably in accord- 
ance with the pathological condition of the brain of the person at- 
tacked, and with other circumstances which only those accustomed 
to the treatment of disease can judge of. The immediate measures 
to be adopted when a fit of apoplexy comes on are the following ; 
Place the patient in a sitting position, with the legs depending ; re- 
move everything about his neck, and let the air be freely admitted ; 
apply cold wet cloths to the head and neck, and mustard plasters to 
the soles of the feet ; if the patient be old and the pulse weak and 
feeble, the skin bloodless, and the countenance pinched, warm flan- 
nel and hot bricks should be used, and cold water should be dashed 
in the face, strong spirits of ammonia applied to the nostrils, the 
feet put into a warm bath with a little mustard, and every means 
taken to arouse the patient from his state of lethargy. As soon as 
this is so far effected that he can swallow, give -J dram of aromatic 
spirits of ammonia in 1^- ounces of canrphor mixture, as a stimulant 
draught, but it is only when the pulse is feeble and fluttering that 
the stimulant may be administered ; this is the exceptional case in 
apoplexy — most commonly the symptoms are those first described. 
Purgatives must be got down as soon as possible ; 10 grains of cal- 
omel placed on the tongue, and washed down with a black draught, 
or 2 or 3 drops of croton oil may be rubbed on the back of the 
tongue, and an injection composed of 2 tablespoonsful of common 



THE HEAD, BRAIN, AND NERVES. 67 

salt, with, a little oil or butter, and a pint of warm water ; or a ta- 
blespoonful of soft soap mixed with the same quantity of water ; or 
an ounce of spirits of turpentine, rubbed down with the yolk of an 
egg, and a pint of thin gruel ; one of these should be repeated ev- 
ery two hours until some decided effect is produced. Other means 
of relieving the system may be taken should these fail, such as blis- 
ters behind the ears, to the nape of the neck or calves of the legs ; 
should the head be very hot let it be shaved, and* a cold lotion be 
applied to it — water and vinegar or acid water will do best. Should 
the attack be soon after a full meal, administer an emetic — a scruple 
of sulphate of zinc with a grain or two of tartar emetic ; something 
like this should always be given when apoplexy arises from the ef- 
fects of opium or spirits. In all cases, after the crisis of the dis- 
ease is over, and when the patient has become convalescent, it be- 
hooves him to be very careful, as a slight indiscretion may bring on 
a fresh attack. 

We have said that apoplexy comes without warning, but this is 
not strictly true. However sudden the attack itself may be, there 
are certain premonitory symptoms which no prudent man will dis- 
regard. Among these may be named a sense of fulness in the veins 
of the head, and a feeling of pressure in the head itself, with occa- 
sional darting pains, giddiness, vertigo, partial loss of memory, and 
the powers of vision and of speech ; numbness of the extremities, 
drowsiness, and a dread of falling down ; irregularity in the action 
of the bowels, and involuntary passage of urine. These all indicate 
that some internal mischief is going on, and if their warning is at- 
tended to the threatened attack may, perhaps, be avoided. Persons 
whose full habit of body and modes of life predispose them to this 
disease, should, when such warnings reach them, live sparingly, 
avoid stimulants, especially fermented and spirituous liquors, take 
regular and moderate exercise, sleep on a firm pillow with the head 
elevated, and nothing round the neck to impede the act of breath- 
ing ; the mind should be in a cheerful condition, and free from ex 
citement ; sexual indulgence should rarely be resorted to ; late sup- 
pers must be avoided, and a hard hair mattress used for sleeping 
on. Keep the bowels regulated by an occasional dose of saline 
purgatives. Those of a spare habit should take light, although 
nourishing diet, a little beer or wine, if they have been accustomed 
to it, and it does not affect the head ; spirituous liquors and hot 
spices should be avoided, and great bodily fatigue or nervous ex- 
citement of any kind. 



68 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 



Herbal or Eclectic Treatment. 

The great object is to draw the blood from the head and equalize 
the circulation. To do this apply cold water to the head, face, and 
neck, and place the feet in warm water to which has been added 
some powdered mustard or Cayenne. An injection must be used if 
the patient shows no symptoms of rapid recovery, the same as in 
the regular treatment, and also the croton oil. 

It is desirable to promote perspiration, which may be done by 
using composition powder, pennyroyal or catnip tea. After recov- 
ery, observe the rules regarding diet, etc., as before directed, and 
take abundance of exercise in the open air. 

CATALEPSY or TRANCE. 

A spasmodic seizure, which causes a rigidity of the limbs, retain- 
ing them in a certain position, however inconvenient or painful. 

Causes. — The causes of this disease are seldom local, but such 
as affect the whole system ; catamenia, worms, and painful emotions 
of the mind, or impaired digestion, may be mentioned as among the 
most frequent ; women are more subject to these attacks than men; 
and, sometimes, they result in apoplexy, epilepsy, or melancholia. 

Symptoms. — The symptoms are a sudden deprivation of all power 
of motion and sensation ; the 23atient remaining in precisely the same 
position as he was when seized : the attack comes on suddenly, 
without any warning, except, it may be, a slight languor of body and 
mind, and lasts for several minutes, or perhaps hours, although the 
longer period is rare ; if, during the fit the position of the limbs is 
altered, they will remain as placed, and when the paroxysm is over, 
there will generally be no consciousness of what has transpired while 
it lasted ; in this respect it resembles the mesmeric sleep, or the 
state of insensibility produced by the inhalation of ether or chloro- 
form. 

Treatment. — The treatment must depend upon the probable cause; 
if the patient is of a plethoric habit, cupping at the back of the neck, 
blisters, a seton or an issue, with the administration of cathartics ; 
if debilitatec 1 , tonics and anti-spasmodics must be given. During the 
attack apply mustard plasters to the palms of the hands, and soles 
of the feet, pit of the stomach and spine ; cold water may be dashed 



THE HEAD, BKAJN, AND NERVES. 69 

in the face, if the fit continue long, and strong ammonia applied to 
the nostrils ; a mixture of ether, foetid spirits of ammonia, and tinc- 
ture of musk, 2 drams of each to 8 ounces of peppermint water, 
should be administered in ounce doses every quarter of an hour, or 
so. On recovery, the system should be strengthened as much as 
possible with good diet, gentle exercise, sea bathing, or the cold 
shower bath ; chalybeate waters may also be drunk with advantage, 
or preparations of steel, bitter infusion, or cascarilla with aromatic 
spirits of ammonia. 

CONGESTION. 

Applied to undue fulness of the blood-vessels ; those of the brain 
are most usually so affected, owing to the unyielding nature of the 
bones of the cranium, which do not admit of expansion for any in- 
creased quantity of blood which may flow in. Most of the other im- 
portant viscera are contained in cavities with yielding walls, and in 
them a greater fulness of the veins than usual is not generally at- 
tended with such dangerous effects. 

Causes. — Congestion may be anything which impedes the whole 
circulation so as to increase the action of the heart ; any pressure 
on the veins which obstructs the passage of the blood through 
them ; a dilation of the coats of the veins from debility ; cold ap- 
plied to the surface of the body, or a dry state of the skin ; a decay 
of the cells in the small secreting cavities, blocking them up, causing 
local congestion, which, if not relieved, may lead to that of the 
whole system. It is caused by morbid accumulation of blood in the 
vessels, and may proceed from various causes ; persons of a full, 
plethoric habit are most subject to it. 

Treatment. — Quiet both of mind and body, with cooling aperient 
medicines, abstinence from all rich and stimulating food and drink, 
is the proper treatment ; in those of spare, weakly habit, it is some- 
times owing to want of vital energy, and in this case, the diet should 
be rich and stimulating; and the aperients, if required, must be 
of a cordial nature ; but all this should be left to the medical prac- 
titioner ; the disease too nearly affects the issues of life and death, 
to be tampered with. 

Concussion or Inflammation of the Brain 

Is nearly always produced by a blow or a fall ; it is one of the most 



70 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

frequent injuries to which this part is exposed ; it may be either 
slight or severe, in proportion to the intensity of the exciting cause ; 
in the former case the effect is but momentary — the patient is 
stunned, but very soon recovers consciousness, and perhaps feels no 
more of it, except a little tenderness of the part struck ; in the lat- 
ter case he remains unconscious, without the power to move or 
speak ; the pulse is slow and feeble, the breathing difficult, fre- 
quently there is vomiting, and an unnatural contraction or dilation 
of the pupils of the eyes ; in this case but little can be done beyond 
putting the patient to bed, and keeping the surface of the skin warm 
by frictions and hot amplications ; when there is extreme depression, 
a little brandy or sal volatile may be given, but very sparingly, be- 
cause, if death does not ensue, there will be reaction, with an in- 
flamed state of the organ. If it is simple concussion, a fatal termi- 
nation is not likely ; but sometimes the shock causes rupture of the 
substance of the brain itself, or its enclosing membranes, or of one 
or more of its blood-vessels, causing effusion ; in this case the pa- 
tient may never rally from his state of stupor, or, if he does, it will 
be but for a short time ; there will probably be convulsions, paraly- 
sis, and apoplectic termination of his sufferings. All these are char- 
acteristic of inflammation. In so acutely sensible an organ as the 
brain, it must be evident that an inflamed state of the tissue is by 
all possible means to be avoided ; hence, when reaction sets in after 
the stunning and depressing effects of concussion have passed off, 
the most active measures should at once be taken. 

If a medical man is not within call, and the alarming symptoms 
increase in intensity, there may be sufficient warrantry for an un- 
professional person to bleed ; eight, ten, or twelve ounces of blood 
may be taken from the arm, or a dozen leeclfes may be applied about 
the head, or the patient may be cupped in the nape of the neck ; the 
latter is, perhaps, the best mode of depletion, as it is effected 
quickly, and very near to the seat of disease. The hair of the head 
should also be cut or shaved off, and rags wet with cold water ap- 
plied ; if iced, so much the better. A thorough purging should be 
given, as the following : 

Pulverized Gamboge, 12 grains. 

Pulverized Scammony, 12 grains. 

Elaterium, 2 grains. 

Croton Oil, 8 drops. 

Extract of Stramonium, 3 grains. 



THE HEAD, BRAIN, AND NERVES. 71 

Mix ; make 12 pills, and give 1 pill every three hours till it operates. 
To reduce the pulse and cause perspiration, give 4 drops of tincture 
of veratrum, in a little sweetened water, every hour, till the desired 
results are produced. 

Among the symptoms of inflammation of the brain, or its invest- 
ing tissues, may be mentioned as prominent : shivering, succeeded 
by heat in the skin ; great thirst ; tongue furred ; pain in the head ; 
intolerance of light ; bloodshot eyes, with a wild, wandering look ; 
sickness, and delirium. There may be violent and obstinate vomit- 
ing, as a first symptom, followed after a time by the others, or some 
of them. It should be borne in mind that concussion of the brain 
is not always the result of a blow ; it may be produced by a violent 
shock to the nervous system, such as that caused by coming down 
heavily on the feet from a leap. In cases of 

Fracture of the Skull, 

The same symptoms as those described are likely to occur, as in 
these there is generally both concussion, and its common result, in- 
flammation. In children, especially those of a scrofulous habit, in- 
flammatory action very commonly leads to a form of disease popu- 
larly called water on the brain, or hydrocephalus ; most commonly, 
however, this is a chronic disease dating from birth, or soon after. 
The state and condition of the brain, even when not sub- 
jected to the action of any particular disease, varies considerably in 
accordance with the advance of years ; very frequently in old age 
there is a deficiency of blood in the vessels of the brain, and this 
occasions very distressing symptoms, such as headache, giddiness, 
slowness of intellect, and paralysis. Very much the same results 
follow a softening of the brain, only in an aggravated degree ; in 
this case imbecility and paralysis are almost sure to come, and there 
is little or no hopes of any alleviation of them. In old age, too, it 
should be observed that the arteries of the brain become less elastic 
than at an earlier period of life, more brittle and liable to rupture ; 
hence indulgence in any excesses, or violent exertion, should be es- 
pecially avoided by the aged. 

CONVULSIONS, or PITS. 

Involuntary contractions of the muscles of a part or the whole of 



72 OUK FAMILY DOCTOR 

the body — generally with corresponding relaxations, but sometimes 
with rigidity and tension ; in the former case they are called clonic 
spasms, as hysteria ; in the latter tonic spasms, as lock-jaw ; when 
the convulsions are slight and rapid they are called tremors. They 
are universal, affecting all the limbs more or less, and the muscles 
of the face and those of respiration, as in epilepsy, and the convul- 
sions of children ; and partial, when they only affect some of the 
muscles irregularly, as in chorea or St. Vitus' dance. 

Causes. — Convulsions in children are generally caused by the 
lodgement of acrid matter in the intestines, flatulency, the irritation 
of teething, worms, water on the brain, the striking in of a rash, or 
the accession of some disease, such as small pox, scarlatina, etc. A 
very trifling functional derangement will often be sufficient to pro- 
duce them, and the younger and the more irritable the child is, the 
more liable will it be to their attacks. 

Symptoms. — Convulsions are violent spasmodic affections, with or 
without intermission ; previous to their coming on there is generally 
giddiness, coldness of the extremities, dimness of vision, tremblings, 
and a creeping chill up the spine. There are also, particularly in 
adults, anxiety of mind and dejection of spirit, nausea, and a sense 
of faintness, yawning, and a feeling of stretching, swimming in the 
head, and palpitation of the heart. When the fit is on, the teeth 
chatter, the tongue is protruded and often bitten, there is foaming 
at the mouth, the eyes roll wildly, there is a struggle for breath, and 
a clutching of the hands, which are often clenched so that the nails 
enter into the flesh ; sometimes the lips and cheeks and the whole 
surface of the face and arms become purple, and the veins stand out 
i s though they would burst ; and so great is the muscular force ex- 
erted that several attendants are required to keep the patient from 
bodily injury. A violent paroxysm may last but a few minutes only, 
or for several hours, and may have longer or shorter intermissions. 
It is followed by extreme languor, frequently by headache and gid- 
diness, but these often pass off very quickly, and leave no symptoms 
of constitutional derangement whatever. 

Treatment. — Treatment will depend greatly on the cause. If it 
be worms, give vermifuges and anthelmintics ; if teething, scarifica- 
tion of the gums ; if improper food and indigestion, a gentle emetic 
and afterward an aperient ; if acrid matter in the bowels, a laxative 
clyster and aperient ; if flatulency, carminatives ; if repelled erup- 
tions, the warm bath ; if effusion on the brain, cold lotions to the 



THE HEAD, BRAIN, AND NERVES. 73 

head, and small doses of calomel, frequently repeated, with purga- 
tives, if the bowels are sluggish ; hot applications to the extremi- 
ties, also, are advisable in this case, and sometimes leeches to the 
head ; but it is hazardous to apply them, except under profesional 
direction. In all cases of infantile convulsions, and in some of 
adults, the warm bath is advisable ; the temperature should be 
about ninety-eight degrees, and in most cases opening medicines, 
with at least one dose of calomel put on the tongue. 

In adults, convulsions may be apoplectic, epileptic, hysterical, or 
puerperal, as the case may be. Some narcotic poisons produce them, 
such as opium, prussic acid, some kinds of fungi, ardent spirits, and 
indigestible substances. In all these cases, emetics would be the 
first remedies, and the stomach-pump ; then volatiles and stimulants 
— as ammonia, valerian, and a stream of cold water poured upon the 
head from a considerable height. Convulsions may be caused by 
excessive mental emotion, and sometimes by long-continued diseases, 
such as dropsy, jaundice, and fever. 

When a person is taken with a fit, proceed thus : Loosen any part 
of the dress which may appear tight, especially about the neck and 
chest ; if a female, cut the stay-lace, as tight-lacing often causes fits ; 
sprinkle cold water on the face, and apply volatile stimulants to the 
nostrils ; rub the temples with eau de cologne, ether, or strong 
spirit of some kind, and blow upon them ; and as soon as the pa- 
tient can swallow, give 30 drops of sal volatile in water, or the same 
of ether, or, if neither are at hand, a little cold brandy and 
water. 

When the fit is over, a gentle aperient should be taken, to be 
followed by cold bathing, exercise, and, if possible, by a change 
of air. 

DIZZINESS. 

Many persons are subject to a fulness and rush of blood to the 
head, either with or without any excitement. It is a symptom of a 
deranged system, and it may be a symptom of a tendency to apo- 
plexy. 

Causes. — This condition may be caused by heart disease, by de- 
bility arising from hemmorrhages, indigestion, constipation, or ex- 
cessive mental labor. 

Treatment. — What has been said on congestion of the brain ap- 



74 OUE FAMILY DOCTOR. 

plies to this affection ; a dose of some gentle purgative should be 
taken, as castor oil, salts, or salts and senna, should be taken at 
night, and the following in the morning: 

Bochelle Salts, 2 drams. 

Bicarbonate of Soda, 2 scruples. 

Water, ^ pint. 

Mix. To this mixture add 35 grains of tartaric acid. Take the 
whole while foaming. 

DELIRIUM TREMENS, 

Delirium ebriositatis, or mania-a-potu, is a disease of the brain, 
usually caused by an abuse of spirituous liquors, but sometimes also 
by great mental anxiety and loss of sleep ; or it may result from 
bodily injuries or accidents, loss of blood, etc. Delirium sometimes 
makes its appearance in consequence of a single debauch ; but more 
frequently it is the result of protracted or long-continued intemper- 
ance. It usually supervenes on a fit of intoxication ; but it not un- 
frequently occurs, also, when the habitual drunkard omits his accus- 
tomed draught. 

Symptoms. — The approach of an attack is almost invariably 
preceded by the patient being remarkably irritable, with fretfulness 
of mind and mobility of body. He becomes very nervous and un- 
easy ; is startled by any sudden noise, the opening of a door or the 
entrance of a visitor ; is restless ; the hands and tongue are tremu- 
lous ; he complains of inability to sleep, and if he dozes for a mo- 
ment, he is awakened by frightful dreams. Soon delirium manifests 
itself; if questioned, the patient often answers rightly enough; but 
if left to himself, he begins to talk or mutter; he is surrounded by 
frightful or loathsome animals ; is pursued by some one who has a 
design upon his life ; has terrible and ghastly visions. Though most 
commonly of a frightful or terrifying character, the delirium is not 
always so : occasionally the appearances are droll and ludicrous, and 
the patient seems amused by them ; at other times it turns on some 
matter of business, as settling of accounts or telling of money, and 
the patient is in a perpetual bustle, and his hands are constantly 
full of business. The predominant emotion with the delirious patient 
is fear, and in his efforts to escape from an imaginary enemy, he may 
be guilty of a murderous assault, or, as is more frequently the case, 



THE HEAD, BRAIN, AND NERVES. 75 

may take his own life; and hence he requires to be very carefully 
watched. "The strong features of this complaint," says Watson, 
"are sleeplessness, a busy but not angry or violent delirium, con- 
stant chattering, a trembling of the hands, and an eager and fidgety 
employment of them. . . . The tongue is moist and creamy; the 
pulse, though frequent, is soft; the skin is perspiring, and most 
commonly the patient is drenched in sweat." The delirium con- 
tinues until the patient sinks into a sleep, from which he awakes 
comparatively rational, or dies from exhaustion. In such cases 
death is often sudden, the patient rising for some trivial purpose, 
and falling in a faint, from which he never recovers ; or at length, 
after passing many nights without sleep, he sinks into a state of 
coma, which terminates in death. This disease, however, is rarely 
fatal, unless where the strength of the patient has been seriously 
impaired by long-continued excesses. 

Treatment. — The great remedy is sleep, and the best means of 
inducing this is by opium, which is to be given in large doses, and 
frequently repeated, until the desired effect follows. Sometimes it 
is necessary, in order to procure sleep, if the patient is in a very 
exhausted state, or if the disease has been brought on by the cessa- 
tion of an accustomed stimulus, to allow the patient a certain quan- 
tity of his ordinary beverage; but this should not be continued 
longer than he can do without it. / Chloroform has also been recom- 
mended as a means of procuring sleep when opium fails ; or better 
probably than either will be found to be the hydrate of chloral, in 
doses of twenty to forty grains. Some medical men recommend 
large doses of digitalis, but the nature of this remedy renders it 
unadvisable in the hands of any but a medical man. 

If these efforts are successful and the nervous excitement is sub- 
dued, there will be great prostration of strength. The great object 
will then be to restore the tone of the stomach, and to enable the 
patient to overcome that craving for alcoholic stimulants, which is 
sure to send him' back into the paths of intemperance if it is in- 
dulged. A bitter infusion of camomile is perhaps the best, but 
carbonate of soda, or potash, in six or eight grain doses, should be 
given with a small portion of alcohol ; it may be brandy mixed with 
yolk of an egg, beaten up raw, or with arrowroot, some bitter ale, 
and good nourishing food. A cold shower bath affords great 
relief. 

This disease is to be carefully distinguished from inflammation 



76 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

of the brain, with which it has many symptoms in common; for 
bleeding, which is resorted to in the latter disease, would be of the 
utmost danger in this. 

EPILEPSY. 

Epilepsy is a form of disease which receives its name from the 
suddenness of its attack. It is also called the falling sickness, from 
the patient, if standing, suddenly falling to the ground. By the 
ancients it was called the sacred disease, from being supposed to 
be due to the influence of the gods or evil spirits. 

Causes. — Among the causes which give rise to epilepsy are ex- 
ternal injuries done to the brain by blows, wounds, fractures, and 
the like ; or internal injuries by water in the brain, tumors, concre- 
tions, and polypi. Violent affections of the nervous system, sudden 
frights, strong mental emotions, acute pains in any part, worms 
in the stomach or intestines, teething, suppression of accustomed 
evacuations, excesses, masturbation, &c, are causes which also pro- 
duce epilepsy. Sometimes it is hereditary, at other times it arises 
from a predisposition, occasioned either by plethora or a state of 
debility. When it arises from hereditary predisposition, or comes 
on after the age of puberty, or when the attacks are frequent and 
of long duration, it is usually difficult to effect a cure ; but occurring 
in early life, and occasioned by worms or any other accidental cause, 
it may, in general, be remedied. 

Symptoms. — The attack is usually sudden, without any warning. 
The patient may be in his ordinary health, engaged, perhaps, in his 
usual occupation, when all at once he utters a piercing scream, and 
falls to the ground. Immediately thereafter the face becomes vio- 
lently distorted, the head is usually drawn to one side, tho eyes are 
set and staring, or roll wildly about, the color of the skin becomes 
dark and livid, and the veins swollen and turgid; there is frothing 
at the mouth; the muscles of the lower jaw act violently, producing 
gnashing of teeth, and frequently the tongue is thereby grievously 
injured; the arms are sometimes thrown violently about, and the 
lower limbs' may be agitated in a similar manner, while the fingers 
with great power clutch at whatever comes in their way. The 
breathing is at first heavy and difficult, but afterwards it becomes 
short, quick, and stertorous, and is often accompanied with sighing 
and moaning. One side of the body is commonly more agitated 



THE HEAD, BRAIN, AND NERVES. 77 

than the other. After a longer or shorter period, the convulsive 
movements gradually diminish, and the patient seems to recover a 
faint glimmering of consciousness ; but the look which he casts 
around is stupid and heavy, and he goes off into a lethargic sleep, 
from which he does not awake for some hours. There is no con- 
sciousness of anything that occurred during the paroxysm. On 
coming out of the fit, there is generally headache, and always lan- 
guor, and it may be days before he fully recovers from the effects 
of the attack. The duration of the paroxysm is usually from five to 
ten minutes; but sometimes several attacks follow each other in 
succession, and it may then be protracted for several hours. This 
is a severe form of epilepsy: but frequently it is less severe, con- 
sisting merely of loss of consciousness, slight rigidity, and the con- 
vulsion of a few muscles, and lasting onty for a minute or two. 
Occasionally death takes place during the paroxysm ; but generally 
it is attended with little danger, unless the patient may injure him- 
self by falling in some dangerous position. The return of the fit is 
exceedingly various in different individuals ; several years, in some 
cases, intervening between the attacks, while in others they may 
occur every month, week, or day. When neglected, they usually 
become more and more severe, or recur at shorter intervals. Re- 
peated attacks of this disease, in general, soon produce a marked 
change in the mental and physical character of the individual. 
There is a gradual diminution of the active powers, purpose be- 
comes irresolute, the spirits are depressed, and the memory fails ; 
the features become coarse, heavy, and inexpressive, and the look 
vacant. The most frequent, perhaps, of the consequences of con- 
firmed epilepsy is insanity, either in the form of acute mania or 
monomania following the attacks, or of gradual imbecility, without 
any acute seizure. Though the fit, as we have said, usually comes 
on suddenly, yet there is sometimes distinct warning of its approach. 
These vary in different individuals, and may be lowness of spirits, 
irritability, dizziness, noises in the ear, floating specks before the 
eyes. There is, however, a particular sensation which is said to be 
felt by some immediately before the attack, and which is known as 
the aura epileptica. It is variously described as resembling a cur- 
rent of air, a stream of water,' or a slight convulsive tremor, com- 
mencing in one of the limbs, and proceeding upwards to the head, 
when the patient is deprived of all consciousness. Epilepsy is com- 
monly divided into idiopathic, when it is a primary disease, depend- 



78 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

ing on some affection of the cerebro-spinal system ; and sympathetic, 
when produced by an affection in some other part of the body, — as 
the stomach, bowels, liver, circulating system, &c. 

Treatment. — During the attack, the principal thing is to see that 
the patient does not injure himself — especially, a piece of cork or 
other gag ought to be placed between his teeth, to prevent injury 
to the tongue ; the dress should be loosened about the neck and 
chest ; the head, if possible, a little raised ; and a free circulation of 
air maintained. "Where the disease can be traced to any special 
exciting cause — as injuries of the head, worms, teething, &c. — the 
treatment should be first directed to its removal. Where, as is often 
the case, a plethoric state appears to occasion the disease, the pa- 
tient is to be restricted to a low diet, frequent purgatives are to be 
exhibited, and everything avoided that may determine the blood to 
the head; and to counteract such a tendency, occasional cupping, 
blisters, issues, &c, may be useful. If, on the contrary, there are 
marks of inanition and debility, a generous diet, with tonic medi- 
cines and other means of strengthening the system, will be proper. 
The cold shower bath is recommended if it can be well borne, other- 
wise the tepid bath. The oil of turpentine, in frequent doses of a 
half to one drachm, is said to be of service in many cases. Bromide 
of potassium is a very valuable remedy, given in doses of ten to 
twenty grains, three times a day. It is worthy of remark that when 
aura has preceded an attack, it has sometimes been prevented by 
intercepting its progress by means of a ligature. Stimulants, par- 
ticularly ether, are said occasionally to keep off an attack. In this 
disease great care is necessary in the matter of diet, and moderation 
in quantity and simplicity in character are material points. When 
the appropriate remedies are judiciously employed, and the proper 
regimen strictly adhered to, epilepsy is often permanently cured, 
and the suffering is greatly mitigated even in those forms which do 
not admit of cure. 

Herbal, or Eclectic Treatment. — Observe the same general treat- 
ment as before recommended. Give an emetic. The following is a 
good one : — 

Pulverized Lobelia, I ounce. 

Pulverized Blood-Root, ^ ounce. 

Seneca, 1 scruple. 

Ipecac, 6 drachms. 

Cayenne, 4 scruples. 



THE HEAD, BRAIN, AND NERVES. 79 

Mix. Dose, half teaspoonful in warm water ; repeat three or four 
times, at intervals of fifteen minutes. 

Bathe the feet and legs in warm water ; apply mustard poultices 
to the nape of the neck ; keep the bowels open ; and remove all tight 
bandages, and give plenty of fresh air. An excellent preparation is 
the following: — 

Peony, I ounce. 

Peruvian Bark, 1 ounce. 

Valerian, 1 ounce. 

Snake-Root, ^ ounce. 

Simmer them together in two quarts of water till reduced to one ; 
add one pound of sugar. Give the patient from one-half to a wine- 
glassfull three times a day. 

On the approach of a fit, give a teaspoonful of fine salt three times 
a day; it will shorten the patient's sufferings. A silk handkerchief 
thrown over the face is said to bring a person immediately out of a 
fit. A person liable to this affliction should exercise the greatest 
caution in regulating the passions. 

FAINTING {Syncope). 

This is a state of total or partial unconsciousness, occasioned by 
diminished action of the heart, causing less rapid circulation of 
blood through the brain. 

Causes. — The causes of it are various, and sometimes very pecu- 
liar, such as a particular smell ; that of a rose, for instance, has been 
known to occasion it ; certain objects presented to the sight; sur- 
prise, joy, fear, or any sudden emotions; loss of blood, or anything 
which tends to debilitate the system by diminishing the vital 
energy. 

Symptoms. — The first sensation of fainting to the patient himself 
is generally a singing in the ears ; then the sight becomes confused, 
and all the senses deadened; a clammy sweat breaks out over the 
person, the countenance becomes deadly pale, and the limbs refuse 
to support the weight of the body, which sinks to the earth as help- 
less and motionless as a corpse ; indeed, the condition so closely re- 
sembles that of death, that it is difficult to distinguish it therefrom. 
This is a complete faint ; frequently the fits are only partial, and 
very limited in duration. 



80 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

Treatment. — Place the patient in an horizontal position; free the 
face, neck, and upper part of the chest from all incumbrances ; let 
the fresh air play freely upon them, and sprinkle the former with 
cold water ; holding to the nostrils from time to time some volatile 
stimulant, such as hartshorn or ammonia; as soon as swallowing 
can be accomplished, administer about thirty drops of spirits of wine, 
or sal volatile, in water. The after-treatment will of course depend 
on the cause. 

As the first stage of some forms of apoplexy and paralysis is one 
of faintness, a little discrimination should be used in the adminis- 
tration of stimulants. Where the seizure, too, is in consequence of 
loss of blood, no violent efforts at restoration should for a time be 
made, as this state is necessary for the patient's safety. 

Persons subject to fainting should be careful in frequenting 
crowded rooms, or going anywhere where the air is bad. Tight 
dresses should be avoided; and no excitement be allowed. A well- 
regulated diet, cold bathing, and vegetable tonics, will usually cure 
this distressing infirmity. 



HEADACHE. 

There is no more common complaint than this, which is sympto- 
matic of so many different diseases, that it is impossible to lay down 
any general system of treatment. We will, therefore, proceed to 
enumerate some of the chief kinds of headache, with their symptoms 
and remedies. 

Bilious, or Sick Headache, 

is perhaps the most common of any. It generally comes on the 
first thing in the morning, and may often be relieved by a hot cup 
of strong tea or coffee ; probably because this stimulates the diges- 
tive organs, from a defective action of which the pain proceeds. 
This pain commences usually at one side of the head, most likely on 
the brow, just over the right or left eye, but when it continues it is 
diffused over the whole head, and is accompanied by an intolerable 
feeling of sickness, often by vomiting, and extreme languor and de- 
pression of spirits; there is generally, also, singing in the ears, 
dimness of sight, and confusion of mind, with great restlessness. 
Sometimes, without any medicine being taken, the bowels, which 



THE HEAD, BRAIN, AND NERVES. 81 

have been previously constipated, will be freely evacuated, and the 
mos* urgent symptoms are quickly relieved ; but it is generally de- 
siraPe to take some active aperient, preceding or accompanying it 
with lie following: — 

Pulverized Rhubarb, 12 grains. 

Carbonate of Magnesia, 10 grains. 

Aromatic Spirits of Ammonia, £ drachm. 

Byrup of Ginger, 1 drachm. 

Spearmint Water, 10 drachms. 

This will generally prove effectual, especially if the diet is spare 
and simple. Take no solid food for twenty-four hours, only a cup 
or two of tea, or a little thin gruel, and the chances are that there 
will be no headache next day; although it will probably return as 
severe as ever in a few weeks, its recurrence in some cases being at 
almost regular periods. It can generally be traced to some error 
in diet, such as taking food that is indigestible, or in too large 
quantities; or stimulating chinks, with insufficient exercise. Very 
often it arises from some derangement of the biliary secretions, 
either as to quantity or quality, or defective assimilation ; sometimes 
from the habitual abuse of purgatives, which enfeebles the- tone of 
the alimentary canal. Very commonly a simple dose of rhubarb 
and magnesia, with about thirty drops of sal volatile, will remove a 
common sick headache ; but when there is nausea, and vomiting or 
purging does not come spontaneously to remove it, the former 
should be excited by an emetic, composed of one grain of tartarized 
antimony and twenty of rpecac ; and after this has acted, give blue- 
pill, one scruple ; compound rhubarb pills, two scruples. Mix ; di- 
vide into twelve pills ; take one or two at a dose. Persons subject 
to this kind of headache should carefully abstain from fat meats, 
pastry, butter, and rich food generally. 

That which we have just been describing is one of the forms of 
Sympathetic or Dyspeptic Headache, sympathy with a disordered 
stomach being the immediate cause. Sometimes an excess of alkali, 
at others of acid, in the alimentary canal, will produce this : in the 
former case, a vegetable acid, such as vinegar, will afford relief; in 
the latter case, in which there is likely to be heartburn and acid 
eructations, a dose of sal volatile, or of carbonate of soda or potash, 
will be the best remedy. In all these cases, it seems likely that the 
blood circulating in the brain is both mechanically and chemically 



6 



82 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

affected by the defective action of the assimilative and secretive 
organs of the stomach. We sometimes find that the postponement 
of the customary evacuation of the bowels, for ever so short a time, 
will cause a sympathetic headache, and that this will be relieved 
directly the evacuation has taken place, — a clear proof of the inti 
mate connection there is between the head and the stomach. 

Congestive Headaches. 

So called, because they proceed from a congested state of the 
vessels of the brain, arising either from an over- fullness of blood or 
a weakness of the organ, or from an excessive nervous irritability, 
which frequently upsets the balance of the circulation. Whichever 
of these may be the case, there is nearly always a dull pain over the 
whole of the head, which is worst at the fore and hind parts. When 
it arises from an over-loaded condition of the vessels, there is usually 
a bloated countenance, with full red eyes, and a dull, inanimate ex- 
pression; here we find, on inquiry, a sluggish liver, and inflamma- 
tion of the brain, tending to apoplexy or j)aralysis. 

Leeches to the temples, or cupping on the back of the neck; cold 
applications to the head, with spare diet and active aperients, will 
be the proper treatment. A very effectual remedy for removing 
pain is two or three grains of oxalate of cerium, dry on the tongue ; 
repeat a number of times. 

A weak brain is generally a consequence of some long-standing 
discharge which has debilitated the whole system ; and, in this con- 
dition of things, if from any cause there is a more than common flow 
of blood to the brain, there will be headache, with a pale, sallow 
countenance, and a languid pulse ; frequently swelled feet, excessive 
fatigue on the slightest exertion, with palpitation of the heart, and 
increase of the pain in the head. Here measures of depletion would 
be improper ; we must soothe and sustain by means of sedatives and 
tonics, such as hemlock and quinine, either in the form of pills or 
mixture, as follows : — 

Extract of Hemlock. 24 grains. 

Sulphate of Quinine, 12 grains. 

Make into twelve pills, and give one three times a day ; or, 

Sulphate of Quinine, 12 grains. 

Sulphuric Acid, diluted, 12 minims. 

Tincture of Hemlock, 2 drachms. 

Infusion of Gentian, 6 ounces. 



THE HEAD, BRAIN, AND NERVES. 83 

Take a tablespoonful three times a day. Good nourishing food 
will be required in this case ; and stimulants, such as ale and wine, 
in moderation. Where the headache proceeds from nervous irrita- 
bility, the mode of treatment must also be soothing and strength- 
ening ; but in this case we must avoid stimulants as much as pos- 
sible ; tonics are best here with plenty of fresh air and exercise, and 
all that tends to invigorate the frame. A course of hydropathic 
treatment will generally be found effectual. 

Rheumatic Headache 

is commonly caused by exposure to cold, especially a draught of air ; 
the pain is chiefly confined to the back and front of the head, and 
is felt most at night, when the patient is warm in bed ; it is a re- 
mittent, shifting pain, shooting from point to point, following the 
downward course of the jaw, whose muscles are commonly impli- 
cated. 

Treatment. — Use light diet, and abstain from animal food; give 
attention to the clothing; keep the body and feet warm and dry. 
"When the pain is great, use hot fomentations or mustard plaster on 
the back of the neck, and give a gentle purgative at night. The 
following liniment is found very beneficial : — 

Soap Liniment, 2 1- ounces. 

Liquor Amnionia, ^ drachm. 

Laudanum, ^ ounce. 

Mix, and apply to the part. 

Periodic Headache, 

Brow-ache, Brow-ague, or Neuralgia of the Head, as it is Variously 
called, is an intermitting pain, which comes on at periods more or 
less regular, and is confined to the brow. It will nearly always 
yield to full doses of quinine, especially if combined with hem- 
lock. 

Organic Headache, 

resulting from actual disease of the head itself, is rare, and when it 
does occur, only a palliative mode of treatment can be adopted. 



84 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

Sedatives, such as opium and hemlock, may, for a time, relieve the 
almost intolerable anguish, but they will not touch the disease 
itself. 

Causes. — The distinct and specific causes to which pain in the 
head may be assigned, are— Rheumatic inflammation of the pericra- 
nium, or of the mucous membrane of the frontal sinus ; mental ex- 
citement; strong or long-continued impressions upon the senses of 
hearing, sight, or smell; excessive impetus of blood to the head; 
impeded return of the same; congestion or inflammation of the 
brain ; suppression of bile, perspiration, urine, &c. ; organic disease 
of the head ; sympathy with the stomach, and constipation ; frequent 
use of narcotics or stimulants; intestinal worms; changes in the 
atmosphere; and neuralgia. 

Herbal, or Eclectic Treatment. 

As will be seen from the foregoing pages, headaches are produced 
by a variety of causes ; and varies both in cause and symptoms in 
the same individual at different times. The patient must exercise 
judgment in discriminating between the different forms of the 
affection, as also in the selection of the remedies. For headache 
from congestion, use the following: — 

Podophyllin, 15 grains. 

Gamboge, 15 grains. 

Scammony, 15 grains. 

Rhubarb, 15 grains. 

Cayenne, 15 grains. 

Make into twenty pills, adding a little extract of mandrake or 
dandelion. If podophyllin cannot be obtained, use the same quan- 
tity of aloes. One dose of this will generally relieve the headache ; 
but in order to produce permanent relief, a dose must be taken 
every night for several weeks. When the headache is caused by 
constipation, the following will be found an excellent prescription 

May apple, 1 ounce. 

Mandrake Root, 1 ounce. 

Blue Flag-Root, , 1 ounce. 

Golden Seal Root, 1 ounce. 

Yellow Puccoon, 1 ounce. 

Prickly-Ash Bark, 1 ounce. 

Beef Gall, 1 gill. 

Whiskey, 1^ pints. 

Mix. Let the mixture stand for two weeks. Dose, a teaspoonful 
two or three times a day. 



THE HEAD, BEAIN, AND NERVES. 85 

Citric acid, or lemon juice, is often of great service in easing pain. 
Put a teaspoonful or two in a glass of cold water, and drink it. 
Lemonade lias cured many cases of sick headache, as has also a 
tablespoonful of finely powdered charcoal, or of citrate of magnesia. 
Mix in a little cold water, or milk. 

Decoctions of skunk cabbage and of Indian hemp are very useful ; 
as is a snuff made of equal parts of bloodroot and bayberries. 

HICCOUGH, OR HICCUP. 

This is a convulsive catch of the respiratory muscles, causing 
spasmodic contraction of the diaphragm, with a partial closure of 
the larynx. Generally, it is but trivial and transient, causing no 
permanent inconvenience ; but, sometimes when it occurs in the 
latter stages of acute disease, it is very alarming, indicating a giving 
way of the nervous system. 

Young females of an hysterical tendency sometimes suffer from 
obstinate hiccup. We have known it continue for weeks with but 
little cessation, except during the hours of sleep, and, occasionally, 
breaking in upon them. 

Causes. — Long fasting, or the sudden introduction of some 
strong stimulant into the stomach, will often cause a common 
hiccup. 

Treatment. — Cold water, continually sipped and swallowed, will 
often prove a remedy ; but nothing is so likely to remove it as strong 
excitement of the mind. Most antispasmodic medicines are likely 
to be of service, and we have seen the following given with good 
effect : — 

Carbonate of Soda, 1 drachm. 

Sulphuric Ether, 3 drachms. 

Tincture of Ginger, 2 drachms. 

Tincture of Gentian, 4 drachms. 

Camphor Mixture, 8 ounces. 

Take two tablespoonfuls every two or three hours. Sometimes 
hot applications to the upper part of the chest and throat will re- 
lieve the symptoms. 

HYDROPHOBIA {Rabies). 

This is the well-known canine or dog madness, whose chief symp- 
toms are spasmodic contractions of the larynx, preventing the pa- 



86 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

tient, although thirsty, from swallowing any kind of liquid, — one of 
the most dreadful and fatal visitations that can affect humanity. 

Symptoms. — "When a person has been bitten by a rabid animal, the 
wound if treated in the ordinary manner will generally heal readily 
enough ; but after an uncertain interval, which lies for the most part 
between six weeks and eighteen months, the following symptoms 
begin to be noticeable. The patient experiences pain, or some un- 
easy or unnatural sensation, in the situation of the bite. If it be- 
comes healed up, the scar tingles or aches, or feels cold or stiff, or 
numb ; sometimes it becomes visibly red, swelled, or livid. The 
pain or uneasiness extends from the sore or scars towards the cen- 
tral parts of the body. Very soon after this renewal of local irrita- 
tion — within a few hours, perhaps, but certainly within a very few 
days, during which the patient feels ill and uncomfortable — the spe- 
cific constitutional symptoms begin. He is hurried and irritable ; 
speaks of pain and stiffness, perhaps about his neck and throat; 
unexpectedly he finds himself unable to swallow fluids, and every 
attempt to do so brings on a paroxysm of choking and sobbing, of 
a very distressful kind to behold ; and this continues for two or 
three days, till the patient dies exhausted. Generally, the disease 
when it once sets in, and shows the peculiar hydrophobic symptoms, 
runs but a short and fierce course. The nervous irritability be- 
comes extreme. The peculiar paroxysms of choking spasm, and 
sobbing, are excited not only by attempts to swallow liquids, but 
by the very sight or sound of them. Even the passage of a gust of 
wind across the face, the waving of a polished surface, as of a mirror, 
before the eyes ; the crawling of an insect over the skin is sufficient 
to excite irritation, and the peculiar strangling about the fauces, 
in a hydrophobic patient. Death occasionally takes place within 
twenty -four hours after the commencement of the specific symptoms ; 
but commonly it happens in the second or third day. 

Sometimes, however, the patient may linger on until the seventh, 
or even eighth day, and the severity of the symptoms may so far 
remit as to allow of his swallowing liquids ; but there is no well au- 
thenticated case of a recovery after this disease had decidedly mani- 
fested itself, although there is no lack of pretended remedies for 
hydrophobia. 

It has been said that hydrophobia has resulted from the mere 
scratch of a cat ; if so, the probability is that the creature's talons 
had become imbued with the venom when the paw was put to the 



THE HEAD, BEAIN, AND NEEVES. 87 

mouth, as it frequently would be if that part felt hot or uneasy. 
The knowledge that the saliva of a human being affected with this 
disease is infectious, should teach us, while ministering to such an 
unhappy fellow-creature, and relieving his sufferings by all means 
in our power, to do so with due caution ; the more especially as such 
patients are sometimes extremely violent, and prone to bite as a dog 
would. 

Treatment. — As no positive cure has been discovered for this ter- 
rible disease, all efforts must be merely preventive. Directly the 
bite has taken place, a free excision of the wound should be made, 
taking care that every part of flesh that the saliva has touched be 
removed ; then thoroughly wash the wound with tepid water, keep- 
ing up this application for a considerable time. Some recommend 
stimulating dressings to the part, but the advisability of this is very 
questionable ; better to let the wound heal than to keep the system 
in a state of irritation. If there is any doubt about the poison being 
all removed, a strong solution of lunar caustic should be applied, or 
the caustic itself ; this is as likely to be as effective as the actual 
cautery, which some recommend. Youatt says he never saw the 
lunar caustic fail, and it may be used at any time before the disease 
manifests itself, although the longer it is delayed the less chance is 
there of success. 

The alleviating measures to be resorted to when the disease has 
manifested itself, are — the application of ice to the spine and fauces ; 
the inhalation of chloroform, and prussic acid dropped on the tongue 
a drop or two at the time; injecting into the bowels three or four 
ounces of starch jelly, with two or three grains of morphine; and 
rubbing in about every four hours a drachm of mercurial ointment, 
with two grains of powdered opium. 

When, as is often the case, the patient is violent, he should be 
restrained by a straight waistcoat, or some such contrivance, from 
injuring himself and others. Cold affusion is a remedy always at 
hand, and one that has produced beneficial results ; get some water 
at as low a temperature as possible, and pour it from a considerable 
height over the back of the head and along the upper part of the 
spine. This greatly reduces the action of the heart, and it is neces- 
sary to watch the pulse carefully during the process, and stop it as 
soon as it sinks in a dangerous degree. Sedatives and refrigerants 
must be mainly employed in these cases, as the patient is suffering 
under a violent excitement consequent on the introduction of a 



88 OUE FAMILY DOCTOK. 

poison into the system, which excitement, if not subdued, will in- 
evitably and quickly exhaust the vital powers. 

Does it follow, then, that all persons bitten by a rabid dog or 
other animal, must die ? Is there no hope for them ? Assuredly 
we would not promulgate such a doctrine as this. In the first place, 
a very small proportion of those who are so bitten have the disease 
at all ; and this partial immunity has sufficed to establish a false 
reputation for many of the nostrums vaunted as infallible remedies. 
It has been calculated that the proportion of persons bitten who 
suffer is about one in twenty-five. 

HYPOCHONDRIA, 

A disease characterized by extreme sensibility of the nervous sys- 
tem, leading the patient to believe himself to be suffering from some 
terrible and imaginary disease, or to be much worse than he really 
is. The ideas of such persons often partake of the most extravagant 
character. He may fancy that he is immensely tall, or inordinately 
small ; that he is heavy as lead, or light as a feather ; that he is com- 
posed of glass, or is a lump of butter. They are all extremely 
timid, and their fears are exercised upon trifles, or are altogether 
groundless. They dwell constantly upon, their own sufferings, and 
are usually morose, peevish, suspicious, and misanthropic ; and fre- 
quently suspect their nearest and dearest friends of designs upon 
their life. There is frequently, also, functional derangement of cer- 
tain organs, especially of those connected with the nutritive pro- 
cesses. 

Causes. — The causes of this disease are various, arising, as it 
does usually, from an impaired condition of the nervous system. 
Habitual costiveness, excessive venereal indulgence, and mastur- 
bation, are also prolific sources of this disease. Young men of stu- 
\ dious habits are very apt to suffer from this disease. Those too, 
who, from want of occupation and a due amount of exercise, acquire 
a luxurious habit, often fall a prey to it. 

Treatment. — The cure must of necessity vary somewhat, accord- 
ing to the nature of the disease. In general, the great thing is to 
withdraw the patient's mind as much as possible from himself. For 
this purpose, cheerful society and change of scene should be adopted. 
The system ought to be strengthened by tonics, and exercise in the 
open air. If it arises from idleness and luxury, the great cure is 



THE HEAD, BRAIN, AND NERVES. 89 

plenty of active exercise and a spare diet. In all cases the state of 
the digestive organs should be attended to, and the bowels kept in 
a strictly normal condition. 

If there is costiveness, cracked wheat should be eaten, or if this 
does not answer, give the following: — 

Pulverized Rhubarb, 2 scruples. 

Bicarbonate of Potassa, 1 scruple. 

Extract of Nux Vomica, 5 grains. 

Mix. Make into twenty pills. Dose, one pill twice a day. A tea- 
spoonful of calcined magnesia, or an infusion of thoroughwort, drank 
cold, will often answer an excellent purpose. 

DISEASES OP THE SPINAL CORD. 

The spine is liable to many injuries. If it be broken or crushed 
at any part, all the nerves are immediately powerless below the in- 
jury; the sense of feeling and motion are stopped. If the cord is 
injured at its upper part, death at once ensues. 

Concussion of the Spine 

is sometimes a consequence of coming too suddenly and heavily on 
the feet, especially on the heels. It is followed by a want of nervous 
energy, and a depressed state of the system altogether; there is a 
loss of sensation and motion in the lower part of the body, and fre- 
quently inability to pass the urine, there being, in fact, partial or 
entire paralysis. 

Sometimes there is acute pain in the lower limbs, and symptoms 
of active inflammation may set in, which will require leeching or 
cupping, with hot fomentations and the usual depletive measures. 
In such a case, pending the arrival of the medical man, little can be 
done beyon^L placing the patient in as easy a position as possible, 
and applying moist heat to the lower part of the spine ; an active 
purgative may be administered, and a dozen leeches applied to the 
back, should it be long before the surgeon arrives, if the patient is 
of a full habit and in much pain. Should the shock be but slight, 
the effects will probably soon pass off; but it is necessary to be 
cautious, and avoid any violent exertion, especially mch as jumping, 
for a time. 



90 OUK FAMILY DOCTOR. 

Often these cases are very tedious ; the lost powers are recovered 
slowly, if at all. Friction with stimulating liniments, salt-water 
bathing, the douch bath, gentle exercise, and nourishing diet, are 
the means to be pursued. When there is displacement of the ver- 
tebrae, which can only be caused by extreme violence, and in which 
case there is also generally fracture of the bone, there must be in- 
jury of the spinal cord, and if at all high up, instant or speedy death 
is the result ; if low down, permanent paralysis of the lower limbs 
most likely ensues. (For treatment, see paralysis.) 

Apoplexy of the Spinal Chord 

is not an unfrequent concomitant of epilepsy. With this we have 
convulsive twitchings, pain, and imperfect performance of the func- 
tions of motion and sensation. Soothing, palliative measures, are 
the only ones to be adopted in this case. Hot bran poultices, and 
opiates, if there is severe pain; but these should be cautiously 
given, and not carried to any great extent without professional 
advice. 

Irritation of the Spine 

is especially common in females, and often lies at the root of palpi- 
tations and the hysterical affections to which they are subject. In 
this case a tender spot, or more than one, may generally be found 
on examination somewhere in the course of the spinal cord. Simple 
pressure on one of these spots will sometimes suffice to bring on an 
attack of hysteria and fainting. Debility of constitution is likely to 
be the cause of this ; therefore tonics and invigorating measures are 
called for. Iron and quinine should be taken, and general and local 
bathing resorted to, with friction down the spine with a coarse 
towel or flesh-brush; in some cases a small blister over the tender 
part is advisable. 

INSANITY. + 

This is one of the most terrible disorders to which the human 
race is subject. 

Causes. — The causes which may lead to insanity, particularly 
in those whose mental constitution is weak, are very numerous. In 
many cases, the tendency to insanity is hereditary, and transmitted 
from parents to children. One of the most fertile causes of insanity 



THE HEAD, BRAIN, AND NERVES. 91 

in this country is drunkenness. Excessive study, strong mental 
excitement, grief, jealousy, disappointment, frequently also lead to 
it. Religious excitement is also not an unfrequent cause. 

Symptoms. — Sometimes insanity comes on quite suddenly, without 
any warning whatever ; at other times there is a previous derange- 
ment of the animal functions, loss of appetite, restlessness, and want 
of sleep. It is usual to distinguish insanity into different kinds, 
as, — i 

1. Moral Insanity, 

in which there is a morbid perversion of the feelings, affections, and 
active powers, without any illusion or erroneous conviction im- 
pressed upon the understanding. 

2. Intellectual Insanity, 

affecting the reasoning powers, and which may be either general or 
partial, — the latter as in monomania. 

3. Mania, 

or raving madness, in which the mental faculties are notoriously 
impaired, the patient gives way to all sorts of extravagances, and, 
if not prevented, will do mischief to himself or others. 

4. Dementia, 

imbecility, fatuity, when the mental powers become gradually im- 
paired, the sensibilities diminished, and the person at length be- 
comes careless, or dead, to all that is going on around him. 

Usually, however, two or more of these kinds occur together. 
Moral insanity frequently manifests itself in a desire to steal, or ap- 
propriate the property of others. In monomania, the patient rea- 
sons correctly upon all matters except one, which forms the subject 
of his insanity. Imbecility usually commences with loss of memory 
and the power of concentrating the attention, for any time, upon 
one subject; then all control is lost over the thoughts, and the 
mind wanders meaninglessly from one subject to another; at length 
there is a carelessness to all that is going on around, and life may 
become a mere existence, the mental faculties being entirely lost. 
Idiotcy differs from imbecility in being congenital, while the latter 
is acquired, or produced by disease. Idiotcy may be produced by 



92 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

various causes connected with the parents; as intermarriages of 
near relatives, intemperance, scrofulous habits, some powerful in- 
fluence acting on the mother during pregnancy. Idiots present 
every degree of mental imbecility, down to the lowest shade, with- 
out sense sufficient to satisfy the mere wants of nature. The head 
of the idiot is usually very small, particularly in the regions of the 
forehead; in some cases, however, it may be quite natural, and in 
others large and misshapen. The beneficial effects of attention to 
the physical health, and of education, are manifested even in the 
case of idiots. 

Treatme7it. — The chances of recovery depend greatly on the com- 
plication, or otherwise, of insanity with other diseases, particularly 
epilepsy or paralysis, with either of which it is nearly*hopeless. It 
is also influenced by the form of the disease, the period of its dura- 
tion, the age, sex, and constitution of the patient. The mean dura- 
tion of cases terminating favorably is from five to ten months ; after 
the latter period recovery is very doubtful. In advanced life, in- 
sanity is generally permanent, and imbecility is very rarely curable. 
While insanity may arise from some affection of the brain which 
speedily terminates in death; yet, in general, it is not necessarily a 
fatal disorder, for lunatics have been known to live thirty, forty, or 
fifty years, after being seized with their disease. It is one of the 
signs of the advance of the present age that the treatment of the 
insane is no longer what it was ; they are no longer loaded with 
chains and confined to some dungeou but are treated with kindness 
and consideration, and allowed all the liberty that the nature of 
their malady admits of. In the cure of insanity, in which great 
progress has recently been made, the means adopted naturally re- 
solve themselves into medical and moral. When the malady pro- 
ceeds from, or is accompanied by, physical derangement, as it usually 
is, it is necessary to ascertain the nature of this- and to take means 
for its removal. If there be excitement and inflammatory action, 
mild antiphlogistic measures will be necessary, together with ape- 
rients and a low diet. If, on the contrary, there is debility and 
prostration of strength, a nourishing diet will be required. When, 
as is often the case, want of sleep is an attendant symptom, opiates 
are to be given. In all cases, exercise, fresh air, and cleanliness are 
required. The moral treatment of the insane consists in diverting 
their thoughts by occupations and amusements, and in gaining their 
confidence by kind and conciliatory measures. 



THE HEAD, BRAIN, AND NERVES. 93 

LO CK JAW. ( Tetanus. ) 

This is a spasmodic seizure of a dreadful and generally fatal char- 
acter. By this disease, not only are the muscles of the jaws, but 
those also of the whole body, thrown more or less into spasm, often 
so "violent as to break the teeth or bones. 

Causes. — The cause of tetanus is frequent exposure to cold and 
damp, or it may be some local injury, such as a cut, puncture, or 
laceration. It more commonly results from either of these in warm 
climates, although intense cold alone has not unfrequently produced 
it. It often affects a large number of the wounded on a field of 
battle, who are exposed to the vicissitudes of the weather. Lock-jaw, 
which is produced by a wound, will sometimes show itself in four 
days ; sometimes not for two or three weeks after the wound has 
been received. 

Symptoms. — The most common form of this fearful malady is that 
in which the muscles of the neck and throat are chiefly affected. It 
generally comes on in a gradual manner: there is slight stiffness in 
the back of the neck, which extends to the root of the tongue, caus- 
ing great difficulty in swallowing ; then the whole muscles of the 
face probably become implicated; there is soon tightness of the 
chest, and the spasmodic pain extends to the back ; while the teeth 
become so closely and firmly set together that no food of any kind 
can pass them. If the spasm extends further than this, the muscles 
of the trunk, and, lastly, of the extremities, become involved, con- 
tracting and drawing the body to the side, or backward, as the case 
may be, so as to form an arch, resting on the head and heels. The 
suffering caused by the tetanic spasm is frightful to contemplate. 
The face is pale, the bones contracted, the skin covering the fore- 
head wrinkled, the eyes fixed and prominent, sometimes suffused 
with tears, the nostrils dilated, the corners of the mouth drawn in, 
the teeth expanded, and the features fixed in a sort of grin. The 
breathing is performed with difficulty and anguish ; there is great 
thirst, and the sufferings are greatly increased by attempts to swal- 
low ; the pulse is feeble and frequent ; the skin is covered with per- 
spiration; and yet, with all this torture, the intellect remains clear 
and unaffected. Death at length closes the scene, being due partly 
to suffocation and partly to exhaustion. 

Treatment. — The common treatment for it is the warm bath, or, 
if this cannot be had, enveloping the whole body in a blanket wrung 



94 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

out of hot water ; the administration of enemas, consisting of thin 
gruel, with an ounce each of castor oil and turpentine. If the pa- 
tient can swallow, give large doses of opium in the liquid form, say 
from thirty to sixty drops of laudanum every half hour, until it 
manifestly affects the system. Cold water, poured on the head from 
a considerable height, may also be of service ; and friction with a 
stimulant liniment, such as turpentine and opodeldock, down the 
course of the spine. Inhaling ether or chloroform is also very 
beneficial, 

NEURALGIA. 

A painful affection of the nerves. When it occurs in those of the 
face, it is termed face-ague or tic-doloreux ; when it affects the great 
nerve of the leg, it is called sciatica. Other parts, such as the 
fingers, the chest, the abdomen, &c, are also liable to this agonizing 
pain, — one of the most severe and wearing to which the human 
frame is liable. The exact nature of it is not very clear; that is to 
say, the origin of the disease, for although its immediate seat is a 
nerve, or set of nerves, yet there must be some originating cause. 
It can frequently be traced to some decay, or diseased growth of the 
bone about those parts through which the nerves pass ; and, in some 
severe cases, it has been found to depend upon the irritation caused 
by foreign bodies acting upon those highly sensitive organs. 

Causes. — Among its exciting causes we may mention exposure 
to damp and cold, especially if combined with malaria ; and to these 
influences a person with a debilitated constitution will be more 
subject than another. Anxiety of mind will sometimes bring it on, 
and so will a disordered state of the stomach; more particularly, a 
state in which there is too much acid. Tea, coffee, tobacco, and 
opium are prolific causes of neuralgia, as well as other diseased con- 
ditions of the nerves. They should be discontinued, and immediate 
benefit will ensue. 

Symptoms. — A violent, darting, and plunging pain, which comes on 
in paroxysms. Except in very severe and protracted cases, there is 
no outward redness nor swelling to mark the seat of the pain, neither 
is there usually constitutional derangement, other than that which 
may be caused by want of rest, and the extreme agony of the suffer- 
ing while it lasts, which may be from one to two or three hours, or 
even more, but it is not commonly so long. Tenderness and swell- 



THE HEAD, BRAIN, AND NERVES. 95 

ing of the part sometimes occurs, where there has been a frequent 
recurrence and long continuance of the pain, which leaves the pa- 
tient, in most cases, as suddenly as it comes on. Its periodic re 
turns and remissions, and absence of inflammatory symptoms, are 
distinctive marks of the disease. 

Treatment. — This must depend upon the cause. If it is a decayed 
tooth, which, by its exposure of the nerve to the action of the at- 
mosphere, sets up this pain, it should be at once removed, as there 
will be little peace for the patient until it is. If co- existent with 
neuralgia there is a disordered stomach, suspicion should at once 
point thereto, and efforts should be made to correct the disorder 
there. If the patient is living in a moist, low situation, he should 
at once be removed to a higher level, and a dry gravelly soil. 
Tonics, such as quinine and iron, should be given, and a tolerably 
generous diet, but without excess of any kind. In facial neuralgia, 
blisters behind the ears or at the back of the neck, have been found 
serviceable ; and, if the course of the nerve which appears to be the 
seat of mischief, can be traced, a belladonna plaster, or a piece of 
rag soaked in laudanum and laid along it, will sometimes give relief; 
so will hot fomentations of poppies and camomiles, or bran poultices 
sprinkled with turpentine. In very severe cases, one quarter of a 
grain of morphine may be given to deaden the nervous sensibility, 
and induce sleep, which the patient is often deprived of at night, 
the pain coming on as soon as he gets warm in bed. 

An application of chloroform on lint has sometimes proved very 
effectual in relieving severe neuralgic pains, and so has an ointment 
composed of lard and veratrea, in the proportion of six grains to one 
of lard. 

A mixture of chloroform and aconite has been recommened for 
facial neuralgia, the form of preparation being two parts of spirits 
of wine, or eau de cologne, one of chloroform, and one of tincture of 
aconite, to be applied to the gums of the side affected, by means of 
a finger covered with a piece of lint, or soft linen, and rubbed along 
them, — the danger of dropping any into the mouth being thus 
avoided. "When the pain is connected with some organic disease, 
as a decayed tooth, or chronic inflammation of the gums, or of the 
sockets, or superficial necrosis of the bone, substitute tincture of 
iodine for the spirit in the above formula. 

We would caution our readers strongly against the careless inha- 
lation of chloroform, as a remedy for neuralgia, which appears to be 



96 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

growing into a general practice. Several deaths have resulted from 
it, the practice being to pour a little on a pocket-handkerchief, with- 
out much regard to quantity, and hold it to the mouth until the 
required insensibility is produced. This remedy should never be 
administered except under the supervision of the medical adviser. 

The shower-bath, plenty of exercise in the open air, and attention 
to whatever will build up the general health, must be carefully at- 
tended to. 

Persons at all liable to this painful affection should be extremely 
careful not to expose themselves to wet or cold; above all, not to 
sit in draughts. A very slight cause will often bring it on, where 
there is the least tendency to it. 

One severe and troublesome form of neuralgia is ear-ache. It 
often occurs in children at the time of dentition. It may be distin- 
guished from that of an inflammatory character, resulting from the 
formation of an abscess, by the symptoms above described. 

ST. VITUS' S DANCE {Chorea). 

This disease is more common in females than in males, and usually 
occurs in children from eight to fourteen years of age. 

Causes. — The predisposing cause of this disease is undoubtedly 
debility, generally dependent upon too rapid growth. The approach 
of puberty has been considered a predisposing cause of chorea; and 
v so far as the changes then effected are causes of general weakness, 
the idea may be correct, but their farther influence may well be 
doubted. In boys, however, sexual excitement, and particularly 
certain criminal indulgences, not uncommon at this age, should be 
suspected, when symptoms of chorea begin to manifest themselves. 
The too frequent use of vegetables, and the presence of worms, are 
also regarded as common causes. 

Symptoms. — The precursive symptoms are variable appetite, some- 
times ravenous and sometimes wanting, a degree of listlessness and 
inactivity, a swelling and hardness of the belly, usually accompanied 
with constipation, and slight, irregular convulsive motions of the 
muscles of the face. As the disease advances, the muscles of the 
extremities, of the lower jaw, the head, and the trunk, are in various 
degrees affected. In this state the patient is unable to walk steadily, 
his only movement being a kind of jumping or springing; or, per- 
haps, he is compelled to run in order to make any progress. To 



THE HEAD, BRAIN, AND NEEVES. 97 

whatever set of muscles it is attempted to communicate motion, 
these immediately become affected with the diseased action, and 
either refuse to obey the will, or obey it imperfectly, and by jerks in 
uncertain directions. Even if speech be attempted, articulation is 
found impossible, or the words are uttered with embarrassment and 
difficulty. In the progress of the disease, the eye loses its bright- 
ness and intelligence, and the countenance becomes pale and vacant. 
In some cases actual loss of mental power seems to follow. 

The whole muscular system is never simultaneously affected ; and, 
in some instances, the perfect control which is retained over a part, 
compared with the mutinous state of the remainder, is very remark- 
able. Sometimes, though the gesticulations are most absurd, the 
speech is easy and fluent ; and sometimes, when unable to walk with 
any approach to regularity, the patient can sing and play with the 
most perfect correctness. 

Treatment. — The treatment of chorea, in its advanced stages, is 
entirely beyond the reach of the domestic practitioner; and all that 
he can properly attempt, even at the outset, is to remove all the 
remote causes of the disease above enumerated; to establish a re- 
gular system of light, but nutritious diet ; to administer some of the 
milder vegetable tonic teas, and leave the rest to nature and fresh 
air. 

Hekbal, oe Eclectic Treatment. 

Cleanse the stomach. Eor an adult, give an emetic, as follows : — 

Pulverized Ipecac, '. 10 grains. 

Tartar Emetic, 3 grains. 

Mix in nine teaspoonfuls of warm water. Dose, three table- 
spoonfuls at first, and then one table spoonful, every fifteen minutes, 
till vomiting ensues. The next day give the following aperient: — 

Calomel, 15 grains. 

Pulverized Rhubarb, 10 grains. 

Aloes, 10 grains. 

Mix. Divide into six pills. Dose, two every two hours, working 
them off with gruel, with salt in it. A complete cure has been 
effected by giving two drachms of carbonate of iron in molasses 
every six hours. To allay the nervous irritation, give Indian hemp- 
root tea. An occasional tepid foot-bath will be found useful. 
7 



98 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

PALSY {Paralysis). 

The total loss or diminution of motion, or sensation, or both, in 
any part. There are several kinds of palsy or paralysis, such as the 
paralysis agitans ; the shaking, or as it is sometimes called, from 
the peculiarity of the patient's gait, the dancing palsy; hemiplegia, 
when one side of the body only is smitten; and paraphlegia, when 
it is the lower half which is more or less deprived of its nervous 
power ; but in all cases it is the brain which is the seat of disorder ; 
and if this is confined to one of its hemispheres, the attack, if it does 
not include both sides, is most likely to fall on the opposite side of 
the body. 

Causes. — The rupture of a vessel of the brain is one of the most 
common causes of paralysis, and this may occur without there being 
any decided apoplectic symptoms. A slight transient faintness, and 
confusion of ideas, may precede the attack, or it may come on during 
sleep, so that the patient may only be made aware that he is para- 
lyzed by his inability to speak plainly, or to move a limb, or one 
side of his body. Sometimes the attack is gradual, and occupies a 
considerable time, — days, weeks, and even months elapse before the 
loss of nervous energy becomes complete; and this helplessness 
may be produced by a succession of slight shocks, as it were, or by 
the gradual stealing on of an apparently torpid condition. This 
latter is more commonly the case when the disease arises from a 
decided state of general debility, which in time involves the brain, 
until the structure gives way, and softening is the consequence. 
Literary men, and all who have much head-work, are especially 
liable to that condition of the brain which causes paralysis ; and so 
are hard drinkers, and others whose lives or habits necessitate a 
frequent state of cerebral excitement. With such the progress of 
the disease is probably rapid. If of full habit, they will, it is likely, 
die quickly of apoplexy ; if of spare, they will sink into a state c c 
mental and bodily imbecility. In either case they may be subject 
to epileptic fits. 

One of the chief causes is pressure upon or disease of the brain 
or spinal cord. When confined to the lower part of the body, there 
may be reason to believe that the defect of power is in some cases 
but functional. In this case the cause may be long exposure of the 
lower limbs to wet and cold, self abuse, excessive indulgence in 
venery, inflammation of the bowels or kidneys, effusion in the spinal 



THE HEAD, BRAIN, AND NERVES. 99 

cord from a blow, a burn, or other injury; disease of the womb, or 
of the urethra, may also give rise to it. Palsy of either of the limbs 
may be caused by pressure, and general palsy by the action of lead, 
or mercury upon the system ; therefore those who work in these 
metals are peculiarly liable to be so affected, such as button-gilders, 
glass silverers, plumbers, &c. The most dangerous form of this 
kind is when it affects the muscles of respiration, in which case it 
rapidly proves fatal. The excessive use of tea or coffee will often 
lead to it. 

Symptoms. — Among the premonitory symptoms of paralysis may 
be named headache, confusion of ideas, loss of memory, impaired 
vision, drowsiness, and partial stupor, with, frequently, numbness 
and pricking or tingling sensation in the limb or part about to be 
attacked. With persons of a full habit, there will be heat and 
flushings in the face, and most of the signs of an approaching fit 
of apoplexy; then follows indistinct articulation, loss of power, 
and the other marked and unmistakable indications of an actual 
attack. 

Treatment. — The proper treatment, in the case of a patient of a 
full habit, will be bleeding and cupping in the neck, and strong 
purgatives, — about five grains of calomel, followed by senna mixture, 
or croton-oil pills, every four hours, until they operate freely. YVhen 
there is faintness and confusion of intellect, give a teaspoonful of 
sal volatile in a glass of water, and repeat it in an hour if required ; 
no alcoholic stimulant should be administered ; put the feet and legs 
in a hot mustard bath, and place the patient in a warm bed, with 
the head and shoulders well raised. Follow up the cupping in the 
neck with a blister, and after that, put in a seton, if required. After 
they have once acted well, keep the bowels gently open with rhubarb 
or castor oil ; let the diet be spare, and the quietude of the patient 
as perfect as possible. After the acute stage of the disease has 
passed, local stimulants should be used, and the affected parts well 
rubbed with the hand or a flesh-brush. Electricity and galvanism 
may also be employed, where there is no reason to suspect struc- 
tural disorganization. In paraphlegia it is often very difficult to 
get the bladder to act ; and when it does, the urine flows from it 
involuntarily. Great attention should be paid to this, and stimulant 
diuretics given : the tincture of cantharides, in half-drachm doses, is, 
perhaps, the best. 

In some cases, much relief has been afforded by the use of sulphur 



UA 



100 OUE FAMILY DOCTOR 

baths and chalybeate waters. Mercury, which is strongly recom- 
mended by some, is but a doubtful remedy. Strychnia has proved 
serviceable, but should only be given under medical superintendence. 
Repeated moxse along the course of the spine, and small blisters 
on the insides of the legs and thighs, are highly recommended. 

In palsy of the face, if it is caused by a blow, a few leeches be- 
hind the ear, and at the angle of the jaw, may prove beneficial. If 
cold is the cause, hot fomentations and stimulating liniments should 
be applied; as also in palsy of the hands, fingers, or other extremi- 
ties, with electro-magnetism, persevered in for a considerable time. 
In all cases of chronic paralysis, it should be borne in mind that the 
nervous system requires arousing and stimulating to a due perform- 
ance of the functions necessary to life. In nearly all there is a slug- 
gish action of the bowels, which are often obstinately constipated, 
and require the strongest purgatives to keep them at all open. It 
is sometimes better to employ enemas, than continue giving drastic 
medicines. The paralytic patient frequently enjoys pretty good 
general health, and eats largely; and this increases the above diffi- 
culty, especially if it be a heavy person, with little power of self- 
movement. "When confined entirely to bed, sores and sloughing 
ulcers are not uncommon : these should be treated as directed under 
the head Bed-sores. An air or water bed greatly obviates the danger 
of them. 

Herbal, or Eclectic Treatment. 

If the patient be young and of full habit, bleed freely, and use a 
large blister on the back of the neck ; but if the patient is old, a 
different treatment must be adopted. Give stimulants freely. Place 
the patient in a warm bath, and give a tablespoonful of scraped 
horseradish, or the same of mustard-seed, four or five times a day. 
Rub the whole body with flannels, impregnated with tincture of 
cayenne pepper, oil of sassafras, oil of turpentine, or the tincture of 
cantharides. Spirits of turpentine, about twenty drops in a little 
water, three times a day, has been found very successful. 

If great sleeplessness or pain exist, give a little opium ; and for a 
laxative, give a teaspoonful of tincture of golden seal, two or three 
times a day, till the bowels open. Flannel should always be worn 
next the skin. 



THE EYE; ANATOMY AND FUNCTIONS. 101 



THE EYE. 



ANATOMY AND FUNCTIONS. 



Few persons are aware how marvellously beautiful and complex 
a structure is the organ of vision; and it is somewhat difficult, 
within the limited space which we can give to the subject, for us to 
explain its various peculiarities of structure, so fully and clearly 
as that our readers may have a correct understanding thereof. 
Volumes have been devoted to a subject which we must compress 
into a few pages ; and therefore, without pausing to speak of the 
many poetical things which have been said of the Eye, such as its 
being " the window of the soul," " the light of the body," " the queen 
of the senses," and so forth, we will at once proceed to our attempted 
description, in which we shall be greatly assisted by the excellent 
diagrams with which our artist has furnished us. 

We will speak first of the Eyeball, the optical instrument, inde- 
pendent of the muscles by which its various movements, and those 
of the lids, are affected ; of the bony cavity, or orbit in which it is 
lodged and protected ; and of the lachrymal apparatus by which it is 
provided with the fluids necessary for its lubrication. 

The Eyeball, then, is a hollow globe, or small spherical chamber, 
about one inch in diameter, having the segment of a smaller sphere 
engrafted on its front surface. This is what we see projecting like 
a bow window, as it were, when we take a side view of the face. It 
is, in fact, the window of the chamber, and through it pass the rays 
of light which paint pictures on the retina withfn, of outward scenes 
and objects. In Fig. 22 this projection is very distinctly marked, 
giving to the sphere a frontal elongation. This globe is composed 
of investing tunics, three in number, and of refracting media, called 
humors, of which there are also three. The lines encircling this 
globe represent the tunics by which the humors are kept in their 
proper place. 



102 



OUR FAMILY DOCTOB. 



Fig. 22. 




Longitudinal Section of the 
Globe of the Eye. 

1 marts the course of the outer tunic, called 
the sclerotic, which invests four-fifths of the 
globe, and gives it its peculiar form. It is a 
dense fibrous membrane, thicker behind than 
in front, "where it presents a bevelled edge, into 
which fits like a watch-glass the cornea (2), 
which invests the projecting portion of the 
globe, and is composed of four layers, viz., the 
conjunctiva, or cornea propria, consisting of thin 
lamellae, or scales, connected by an extremely 
fine areolar tissue ; the cornea elastica — an elas- 
tic and excessively transparent membrane, 
which lines the inner surface of the last ; and 
the lining membrane of this front vestibule of 
the Eyeball, whose second tunic is formed by 
the choroid (3), represented by the dark line ; 
the ciliary ligament (4), which de\ elopes from 
its inner surface the ciliary processes, and the 
iris (6), of which the opening at 7 represents 
the pupil. We shall go more into details pre- 
sently as to the nature of these several consti- 
tuents of the tunics and other parts of the Eye ; 

at present we will keep to general outlines, as represented in the diagram. The third tunic, 
then, is the retina (8), which is carried forward to the lens (12), by the zonula ciliaris, a prolon- 
gation of its vascular layers passing along the front of the Canal of Petit (9), which entirely 
surrounds the lens. In the space marked 10, is contained the aqueous humor ; 11 is the posterior 
chamber ; 12 the lens, more convex behind than before, and enclosed in its proper capsule; 13 
marks the inner area of the globe, filled with a thin membrane called the hyaloid, and contain- 
ing the vitreous humor ; 14 is the tubular sheath of the membrane, tnrough which passes an 
artery connected with the c§psule of the lens, and, at the back of the eye, with the optic 
nerve, as represented at 16. Of this nerve, 15 marks the neurileuma, or sheath. 

"VVe will now proceed more into detail, in explanation of Fig. 23, 
which represents the Eyeball divested of its first tunic, so as to ex- 
hibit the second, with the beautiful distribution of the veins of the 
choroid, called vense vorticosse, from the peculiar manner of their 
arrangement. This is the external layer of the choroid, which is 



The Eyeball divested of its first tunic. 



1, part of the outer tunic, the sclerotic; 2, 
the optic nerve, communicating with the ball 
at the back ; 3 3, distinguish the outline of 
the choroid coat; 4, the ciliary ligament, a 
dense white structure which surrounds, like 
a broad ring, the circumference of tne iris (5). 
This ligament serves as a bond of union be- 
tween the external and middle tunics of the 
Eyeball, and serves to connect the cornea and 
sclerotica at their lines of junction with the 
iris and external layer of the choroid; 6 6, 
mark the vence vorticosce ; and 7 7, the trunks 
of these veins at the point where they have 
pierced the sclerotica ; 8 8, the posterior cili- 
ary veins, which enter the Eyeball in company 
with the posterior ciliary arteries, by piercing 
the sclerotica at i>. The course of one of the 
long ciliary nerves, accompanied by a vein, is 
marked by 10. 



THE EYE: ANATOMY AND FUNCTIONS. 



103 



connected with the ciliary ligament. Next to it comes the middle 
or arterial layer, composed chiefly of the ramifications of minute 
arteries. It is called the tunica Kuyschiana, and is reflected to- 
wards its junction with the ciliary ligament, where it forms what 
are called the ciliary processes already spoken of. The internal 
layer of this tunic is called the membrano pigmenti, which is com- 
posed of several laminae of minute six-sided cells, which are arranged 
like a tessellated pavement, and contain granules of pigmentum 
nigra, or black paint ; this is not, however, quite black, but of a deep 
chocolate color. In Fig. 22 we see it in the dark line which encir- 
cles the globe, and thickens considerably towards the front. 

Our next diagram (Fig. 24) represents a front segment of a trans- 
verse section of the Globe of the Eye, and again exhibits that beau- 
tiful arrangement of parts for which this organ is so remarkable : 

Fig. 24. Fig. 25. 





Transverse Section of the 
Globe of the Eye. 

1, the divided edges of the three tissues, the 
sclerotic (outer), choroid (middle and dark), 
and retina (inner), which last is composed of 
three membraneous layers, the external be- 
ing serous, the middle nervous, and the inter- 
nal vascular ; 2, the pupil, that central spot, 
which enlarges or contracts, according as 
more or less light is required to be admitted ; 
3, the iris, so called from iris, a rainbow, on 
account of its variety of color in different in- 
dividuals. It is composed of an anterior muscular layer, consisting of radiating fibres, which, 
converging from the centre toward the circumference, have the power of dilating the pupil; 
and also of circular fibres, which, surrounding the pupil like a sphincter performs the duty 
of contracting its area. The posterior, or hinder layer, is of a deep purple tint, and is hence 
named uvea, from its resemblance to a ripe grape. This is the surface of the iris presented to 
view in the above section. 4, ciliary processes ; 5, scalloped anterior border of the retina. 



Posterior Segment of a 
Transverse Section of the Eye. 

1, the three outer tunics ; 2, the entrance 
of the optic nerve, with the vein known as 
the anteria centralis retinae piercing its cen- 
tre; 4 is the foramen of Soemmering, situated 
in the middle of the axis of the eye. This is 
a circular spot, surrounded by a yellow halo, 
called the limbus luteus. This halo is com- 
monly obscured by a fold of the retina (5). 



104 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

We have hitherto been looking upon this wondrous little globe 
from without. Let us now take a view of it from within, as repre- 
sented in Fig. 25. This is a posterior segment of a transverse sec- 
tion of the ball. Here again we see, of course, only the divided 
edges of the tunics on the three outer rings from which extends the 
membrane covering the whole internal surface of the retina. The 
foramen, which signifies an epening, has been found to exist only in 
animals which have the axes of the eyeballs parallel with each other, 
as man, the quadrumania, and some saurian reptiles. It is thought 
to give passage to a lymphatic vessel. 

We have as yet said little of the Lens, or crystalline humor, 
marked 12 in Fig. 22. It is situated immediately behind the pupils, 
end surrounded by the ciliary processes which overlap its margin. 
It is less convex on the front than on the hinder surface, and is in- 
vested by a peculiarly transparent and elastic membrane called the 
Caj)sule, which contains a small quantity of fluid called the Liquor 
Morgani, and is retained in its place by its attachment to the zonula 
ciliaris, already described as a prolongation of the vascular layer of 
the retina. 

The lens consists of concentric layers formed upon a hard, firm 
nucleus, and becoming softer as they tend to the outer surface. 
These concentric lamellae are composed of minute parallel fibres 
united with each other by means of scalloped borders, the convexity 
of one body fitting into the concavity of the other. 

Before leaving this part of our subject, we will give a brief sum- 
mary of the uses of the several parts which we have been endeavor- 
ing to describe. The first tissue, the sclerotic, is simply one of pro- 
tection ; the cornea is a medium for the transmission of light ; the 
choroid supports the vessels, such as veins and arteries, by which 
the eye receives nutriment ; and also, by its inner layer of pigmen- 
tum nigrum, absorbs all scattered rays, by which an image impressed 
on the retina might be confused. The iris, by its power of expan- 
sion and contraction, regulates the quantity of light admitted 
through the pupil. If it be thin, and the rays pass through its sub- 
stance they are absorbed by the uvea ; and if the power of that layer 
be insufficient, they are taken up by the black pigment of the ciliary 
processes. Where, as in Albinos, there is an absence of the pigmen- 
tum nigrum, the rays of light traverse the iris and even the sclerotic, 
and so flood the eye with light that the sight is destroyed, except 
during the dimness of evening. Opticians are well aware of the 



THE EYE: ANATOMY AND FUNCTIONS. 



105 



• 



absorbing power of dark colors, and take care to have a black lining 
to their instruments ; but what man ever made an instrument like 
the eye, with its transparent laminated cornea, and various humors, 
so constituted and arranged that they refract the rays in such pro- 
portion as to produce a perfect image upon the retina, and convey 
such exact and vivid pictures of outward objects to the mind within, 
that sits enthroned, who shall say where ? 

When the body of the refracting medium is too great, owing to 
over-convexity of the cornea and lens, the image falls short of the 
retina, unless the object be brought very close, — this is near sight. 
When there is an opposite condition of things, so that the image is 
thrown beyond the nervous membrane, we have what is called far- 
sight. 

Of the various nerves, veins, and arteries, which traverse the eye, 
we need not attempt a description. To some of the principal of 

Fig. 26. 





Eye-Appendages. 



Meibomian Glands. 



1 2, the inner sides of the eyelids; 3 3, the 
Conjunctiva; 4, the apertures of the glands, 
along each corner of the lids; 5 5, 6 6, the 
Papillce lachrymales and the Puncta lachry- 
malia ; 7, the apertures of the ducts of the 
Lachrymal gland. 



1, the superior or upper tarsal cartilage, 
along the lower horder of which (2) are seen 
the openings of the Meibomian glands ; 3, the 
inferior, or lower, tarsal cartilage, along the 
upper edges of which are also openings of the 
above-named glands ; 4, the superior or orbi- 
tal portion of the Lachrymal gland, from 
which come tears ; 5, its inferior or palpebral 

portion; 6, the Lachrymal ducts, or channels through which the tears pass to the outer 
surface of the eye; 7, the Plica semilunaris, containing a small plate of cartilage, which 
appears to be the rudiment of a third lid, such as is developed in some animals ; 8, the 
Garuncula lachrymalis, the source of the whitish secretion which so constantly collects in 
the corner of the eye; it is covered with minute hairs, which can sometimes be seen without 
the aid of a microscope; 9, the Puncta lachrymalis, the point, or external commencement of 
the ducts, which terminate at the lachrymal sac, the position of which is marked by 12; as are 
the superior and inferior lachrymal canals by 10 and 11. The nasal duct, marked by 15, and 14 
is its dilation with the lower meatus of the nose. 



106 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

them allusion has already been made ; but to the appendages we 
must devote a little space. These are, first, the Eyebrows {super- 
cilia), two prominent arches of integument, covered more or less 
with thick short hairs, and forming the upper boundary of the orbits. 
Their obvious utility is to shade the eyes from too vivid a light, and 
to protect them from particles of dust and moisture from the fore- 
head. Second, the Eyelids (palpebrae), which have been well called 
the Curtains of the Eyes ; when drawn open, they leave an elliptical 
space sufficiently large for the purposes of sight, and when closed, 
as in sleep, they effectually defend the delicate organs which they 
cover from injury. If we inquire into the structure of these two 
valvular Eye-curtains, we find that they consist of integuments, 
muscles, cartilages, glands, and the mucous membrane called con- 
junctiva, which covers the whole of the anterior surface of the eye, 
and is reflected back so as to form the internal layer of the lids. 

On examining the inner aspect of the Eyelids, the Meibomian 
Glands can be distinctly seen, arranged like strings of pearls, about 
thirty, on the cartilage of the upper lid, and somewhat fewer in the 
lower, where also they are shorter than those above, as they corre- 
spond in length with the breadth of the cartilage. Each of these 
glands consists of a single lengthened follicle, or tube, into which a 
great number of small clustered glandular vesicles open ; and from 
these tubes the secretion is poured out upon the margins of the 
lids, which, being thus kept constantly moist inside, are in a condi- 
tion to lubricate and wash the surface of the cornea, which they do 
in the motion of winking. 

The Eyelashes (cilia) have now to be mentioned. They, too, are 
important organs of defence for the delicate surface of the eye, for 
whose curtains they form, as it were, a silken fringe. 

The Diseases of the Eye. 

The diseases of the eye are numerous, and sometimes very diffi- 
cult of treatment, owing to the extreme susceptibility and delicacy 
of texture of the parts involved. 

This wondrous globe that we have been attempting to describe, 
lies within its bony socket, or conical-shaped orbit, whose project- 
ing edges, especially that above, whose line is marked by the Eye- 
brow, protect it from injury. Besides being, as it were, embedded 
in fat, it is slung or suspended on a kind of membrane, and its va- 



DISEASES OF THE EYE. 



107 



Fig 



rious movements are effected by means of seven muscles, called 
Recti muscles, — the position and office of which will be best under- 
stood by a reference to Fig. 27, which represents the Eyeball with 
its muscular appendages, as viewed from the outer side of the right 
orbit. 

It must be evident that we can- 
not give a specific account, with 
directions for treatment, of all the 
forms and manifestations of eye 
disease, nor is it necessary. A few 
only of them, such as are most 
prevalent, and open to domestic 
treatment, need be touched upon. 




Inflammation of the Eye {Opthalmia). 

The Eyeball itself is liable to be 
affected by Acute, Chronic, Puru- 
lent, and Strumous Opthalmia, the 
first of which is confined to the 
conjunctiva, or outer covering of 
the front of the eye. 

Symptoms. — Its chief symptoms 
are a smarting sensation, and a 
feeling like that caused by the 
presence of dust. There is also 
considerable stiffness, and the 
whites become tinged with red, 
owing to the veins being suffused. 
On a close examination, the red 
vessels may be distinctly traced; 
and it may be observed that they 
move with the surface, showing 
that the inflammation is but su- 
perficial. 

Treatment. — Warm bathing of 
the eye, combined with brisk pur- 
gatives, should first be tried ; mer- 
cury may be taken in a mild form, 
as in the grey powder, and coin- 



Muscles of the Eye. 

1, Sphenoid Bone; 2, the Optic ]N"erve: 3, 
the Globe of the Eye ; 4, the Upper Muscle, 
called the Levator Palpebrce, the Lifter of 
the Eyelids; 5, the Superior Obliqtie, so 
called from the direction in which it draws 
the Eyeball ; we see its cartilaginous pul- 
ley (6), and the reflected portion passing 
downward to its point of connection with 
the ball, beyond which the Inferior Oblique 
has its bony origin, — the point of which is 
marked by the little square knob. The 
other four muscles are called Recti, straight; 
the Superior Rectus, sometimes called the 
Levator Oculi, erector of the eyes, and some- 
times Superbus, because its action gives an 
expression of pride: its opposite, 13, the 
Inferior Rectus, sometimes called Dcjmmus 
oculi, depressor of the eye, and Humulis, 
as giving an expression of humility ; 10, the 
Rectus Intcrnus. sometimes called Adductor 
Oculi, from its drawing the Eyeball toward 
the nose, and Bibitorious, a sort of punning 
name, in allusion to the cup, or orbit, to- 
wards which it directs the glance; 11 ;>v.\ 
12, Rectus Externus. the one showing its 
two heads of origin, and the other its ter- 
mination ; the intervening portion of muscle 
[having been removed] has the name of 
Abductor Oculi, because it turns the ball 
outwards; Indignabundus is another name 
for it, as giving an expression of scorn. In 
our diagram, the internal rectus passes be- 
hind the optic nerve, which partly conceals 
it; 14, the tunica albigania, or white tunic, 
formed by the expansion of the tendons of 
the four Recti muscles. 



108 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

bined with rhubarb, say three grains of the former and eight or ten 
of the latter, every other night ; the diet should be low, and light 
excluded as much as possible from the inflamed organ. Should the 
warm bathing not produce a good effect, in a couple of days or so, 
use the following lotion: — 

Wine of Opium, 1 drachm. 

Sulphate of Zinc, 8 grains. 

Acetate of Lead. 16 grains. 

Rose, or plain Distilled Water, 8 ounces. 

Dip a piece of linen in this lotion, and bind it, not too tightly, 
over the eye, letting part of the fold hang down so as to cover it 
well. Keep this moistened. Should it be necessary to resort to 
other measures, drop into the eye, from a quill, or small glass tube, 
a solution of nitrate of silver, the strength about four grains to the 
ounce oi distilled water, two or three drops three times a day, and 
apply leeches. 

When this disease continues long, the inflammation extends 
deeper, and it becomes chronic, which has all the symptoms of the 
acute form of disease, except the feeling as of dust in the eyes. The 
latter of the above measures will generally reduce it , or, should not 
the nitrate of silver drops succeed, use wine of opium alone in the 
same way and a lotion made with green tea and about one-sixth of 
its bulk of brandy, or other strong spirit. If, in spite of these 
remedies,- the veins of the lids begin to swell on the outside, show- 
ing that the inflammation is spreading, blisters should be applied 
behind the ears, and the system yet more reduced if it safely can. 
In this case there is a plan of treatment, which generally succeeds 
in giving relief and it is really not so dangerous and formidable as 
it may seem. 

Let the lid of the affected eye be carefully closed ; damp the out- 
side with a sponge ; then draw a stick of lunar caustic (nitrate of 
silver) gently and evenly across the moist surface in successive lines, 
taking care not to go over the same part twice. Suffer the applica- 
tion to dry without opening the lid, which in a few hours will begin 
to swell, and soon attain such a size as to cause total blindness. 
This may continue perhaps for a day or two, the cauterized surface 
during the time discharging a large quantity of serum. The swell- 
ing will then gradually subside, and, in a few days more, with the 



DISEASES OF THE EYE. 109 

help of a dressing of simple ointment, the skin will have resumed 
its ordinary appearance, and all symptoms of inflammation will pro- 
bably be gone. 

Purulent Opthalmia (Egyptian Opthalmia). 

In this, all the symptoms of the acute or chronic form are greatly 
aggravated. The conjunctiva is red and swollen, rising up like a 
wall round the cornea ; the eyelids are tense, livid, and often enor- 
mously swollen; a copious secretion of muco-purulent matter is 
poured out, and there is a burning pain in the eye, with inability to 
bear the light. It requires prompt and decided treatment, as there 
\s always great risk of permanent injury to the eye, from its ten- 
tency to produce thickening and granulation of the conjunctiva of 
the lids, or ulceration and sloughing. In the severer forms of the 
disease recourse must be had to bleeding, either general or by 
means of cupping-glasses or leeches, and jmrgatives, and the various 
other antiphlogistic means employed. The eye should be frequently 
cleansed with warm water, or a weak warm solution of alum or bi- 
chloride of mercury, and one or two drops of a weak solution of 
lunar caustic (from two to four grains to an ounce of water) should 
be let fall into the eyes once or twice a day. 

Strumous, or Scrofulous Opthalmia. 

The strumous form of opthalmia is occasionally met with in per- 
sons of all ages, but it more especially attacks weakly and scrofu- 
lous children who are under eight or ten years of age. 

Symptoms. — A peculiar intolerance of light is one of its most 
marked symptoms. A spasmodic closure of the lids takes place 
whenever much light is presented to the eye. On forcing them 
open, the conjunctiva will generally be found universally inflamed, 
but sometimes only partially so ; but that which especially distin- 
guishes this form of opthalmic disease is the presence of — it may be 
one, or two, or several — little bright red pustules, each terminating 
a vein of the same color, and the parts on which they exist are the 
most inflamed. 

Treatment. — Local applications will do little or nothing for the 
cure of this disease. The treatment must be general and generous. 
The cause is usually obstructed or unhealthy secretions, and if these 
are rectified the effect will soon disappear. Attention must be first 



110 OUR FAMILY DOCTOE. 

paid to the state of the liver and kidneys. If these are deficient in 
action — if there is anything wrong with the bile or the urine — ad- 
minister the appropriate remedies. After this, administer tonics in 
combination with sedatives — say quinine and digitalis; or, if this 
affects the action of the heart too much — hemlock. They may be 
given in the form of pills, one grain of the first and one-third of a 
grain of the second or third, three times a day. With some consti- 
tutions, the iodide of potassium acts best; therefore, if the above 
does not succeed, take the following: — 

Iodide of Potassium, 2 scruples. 

Compound Essence of Sarsaparilla, 4 drachms. 

Tincture of Digitalis, or Hemlock, 1 drachm. 

Cinnamon, or Mint Water, 8 ounces. 

It is sometimes advisable to add to this sweet spirits of nitre 
about a drachm. In obstinate cases the pustules may be touched 
with nitrate of silver, but this should be left to a competent sur- 
geon. 

Either of the above forms of opthalmia, especially the two latter, 
may result in ulceration of the cornea, which in its more dangerous 
form is caused by extensive inflammation of the cornea itself ; in its 
less dangerous form, by the little pustules already spoken of. In 
the latter case, the treatment should be like that of strumous op- 
thalmia. In the former it cannot be too active and energetic, as 
there is little chance of saving the eye by other than the strongest 
methods. The medical man, and no other, can detect the niceties 
of the case sufficiently well to treat it properly. 

Inflammation of the Iris {Iritis). 

This is characterized by intolerance of light, but not the spas- 
modic closure of the eyelids before mentioned. The whole colored 
part of the eye loses its clearness, and sometimes has on it white or 
yellow spots ; a pink zone invests the cornea, and seems to give a 
tinge to the whole front of the ball. This is a very rapid and violent 
form of eye disease. 

Treatment. — Keep the bowels open with some gentle aperient. 
Place in the eye one drop of solution of atropia, one grain to an 
ounce of water, three times a day. Wash the eyes with an infusion 
of slippery-elm bark, or marsh mallow. 



DISEASES OF THE EYE. Ill 

BLEAR EYE. 

A term given to an inflammatory appearance of the eyelids and 
corners of the eye itself. 

Causes. — Advancing age, cold, or temporary weakness. It is 
also caused by hereditary taint, and resolves itself into a constitu- 
tional defect. 

Treatment. — "Where it is not constitutional, use the following 
lotion : mix five grains of sulphate of zinc in two table spoonfuls of 
water. Moisten the eye frequently with a linen rag. 

Another good remedy is to take an active aperient of calomel and 
rhubarb, and bathe the eye with poppy-water. If the eye should 
feel weak after the inflammation has subsided, bathe it frequently 
during the day with a lotion composed of one grain of sugar of lead 
to a large tablespoonful of water. 

BLINDNESS. 

Deprivation . of sight may proceed from various causes, such as 
one of the diseases which affect the eyeball, or deficiency of power 
in the optic nerve, local or general paralysis, or any disease whose 
seat is in the brain or the nervous system ; the formation of a speck 
on the eye, or of a film over the lens. Sometimes the affection of 
the brain or nerves, from whieh loss of sight proceeds, is sympa- 
thetic, arising from a disordered stomach. In this case, as in many 
others, it is but transient ; and matters may be set right by a blue 
pill and senna draught, with low diet, and avoidance of the exciting 
causes of the disorder. If these do not have the desired effect, a 
surgeon should be consulted, as there is reason to suspect some 
organic mischief. Leeches on the temples, blisters behind the ears, 
cupping in the neck, — either or all of these may be tried, should 
there be a sense of fullness, headache, or giddiness, accompanying 
indistinctness of vision. In this case, too, more powerful medicines, 
such as colocynth and calomel pills, should be taken, and a course 
of depletion vigorously carried out. 

Proceeding, as blindness does, from such a variety of causes, few 
general directions can be given for its treatment. When it is owing 
to a change in the structure of the eye itself, its approaches will be 
very gradual,, unless this change is the result of active inflammation. 
Temporary loss of sight is a frequent symptom of apoplexy. It also 
results from diseases of exhaustion, and sometimes occurs after co- 



112 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

pious bleeding ; its total loss may be effected by a blow on or about 
the region of the eye. For the blind from birth there is no hope of 
recovery, 

CATARACT. 

A disease of the eyes causing opacity of the crystalline lens, 
which prevents the passage of the rays of light, and so produces' 
blindness. 

Causes. — The real cause of this disease does not appear to be 
well understood. It may proceed from external violence, but more 
commonly it has some internal and occult origin. It is of slow 
growth, and can only be operated on at a certain stage, when the 
opaque body in the pupil has assumed a sufficient density. 

Symptoms. — A dimness and mistiness of vision, which may gene- 
rally be noticed before any opacity can be perceived on the lens 
itself. Then there are optical illusions, like specks or motes floating 
before the eye. This is succeeded by the gradual falling, as it were, 
of a curtain upon the outward view, which is finally obscured alto- 
gether. Sometimes the progress of the disease is slow and gradual, 
but frequently it is rapid, especially in the latter stages. Persons 
who have passed the middle age are most likely to be affected by it, 
and sometimes it has made considerable progress in one eye before 
the patient is made aware of it by some accidental circumstance, 
which for a time prevents the use of the other. 

Treatment. — There is no medicinal remedy that is known to have 
any effect upon this disease ; nor is it at all likely, from the struc- 
ture of the parts, that any such remedy exists. All palliative mea- 
sures, therefore, are confined to attention to the general health of 
the patient, and the removal of any inflammatory symptoms that 
may exist along with it. The only mode of cure is actual removal 
by an operation ; but so long as one eye remains unaffected, the 
operation may be delayed. 

INFLAMMATION OF THE EDGE OF THE EYELIDS. 

The edges of the eyelids are sometimes very red and stiff, in con- 
sequence of the inflammation of the small follicles or ducts which 
open there, 

Treatment. — The best remedy is a little red precipitate ointment 
rubbed into the roots of the lashes, when the lids are closed on re- 
tiring to rest. This may be repeated every night until no longer 



DISEASES OF THE EYE. 113 

required. A little grey powder, combined with rhubarb, should be 
given, and the patient kept quiet and somewhat low. When inflam- 
mation has been going on in the eyelids for a time, their insides, 
when inverted, will often present a rough granular appearance. In 
this case, they should be gently rubbed over with a smooth piece of 
dry sulphate of copper. The lid should be kept open after the ap- 
plication until the eyeball is- syringed with warm water, to remove 
from it any of the solution caused by the flow of tears acting on the 
sulphate. There will probably be great smarting of the eye, and 
increased redness of the white portion, which must be suffered to 
subside before the application is repeated, which it will, most likely, 
have to be many times. Sometimes the hairs on the lids grow in- 
wards and cause great irritation of the balls. Collodion brushed 
over the lids will, as it dries, cause contraction of the skin, and so 
draw the hairs outward, but this is only a temporary relief, and the 
application must be frequently repeated. Surgical aid must be 

sought for the case. 

IMPERFECT BIGHT (Amaurosis'). 

Loss of sight, proceeding from a paralysis of the optic nerve, 
which may be caused by disease of the nerve itself, or of that part 
of the brain with which it comes in contact. 

Symptoms. — Amaurosis generally comes on very gradually, with 
dimness of vision, and variations of color, or floating objects, called 
spectra. One symptom is dilation of the pupil and insensibility to 
light. This disease may be permanent or temporary, as it depends 
upon causes which are remedial or otherwise. It sometimes is oc- 
casioned by an excess of bile in the system, or a disordered stomach ; 
and, in that case, resort would be first had to aperients and mercu- 
rials, such as a five-grain blue-pill at night, and a senna, or as it is 
commonly called, a black draught, in the morning; to be followed 
up by small doses of calomel and rhubarb, or colocynth, according 
as the bowels are sluggish or otherwise. If the patient is strong, 
and of a full habit, he should keep to low diet, and avoid malt liquor 
or spirits. Should the symptoms not yield to this treatment, blis- 
ters should be applied behind the ears, or a seton opened in the 
back of the neck or temple, as the fair presumption is that the mis- 
chief lies in the brain, or the nerve itself. 

Treatment. — Cold bathing is very useful; and this, in connection 
with out-door exercise and a strictly vegetable diet and abstinence 
from exciting pursuits, will usually effect a cure if a cure is possible. 
8 



114 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

STYES. 

Styes are little inflammatory tumors which frequently make their 
appearance on the edges of the eyelids of children. They rarely 
affect grown persons ; and, although troublesome, are not at all dan- 
gerous locally, nor prejudicious to the general health. They run 
the same course as boils, which in reality they are. 

Treatment. — Generally they require no medical treatment, but 
when very large and painful, a hot water fomentation will prove 
beneficial. When once the matter has escaped, they heal very 
quickly. A simple dressing of spermaceti ointment is sometimes 
required, but not often. 

SQUINTING (Strabismus). 

» 

Squinting is a disease of the eyes, in which they do not move in 
harmony with each other. .Squinting may be confined to one eye, 
or it may affect both, and it may be in any direction If the sight 
of both eyes is equally good, or nearly so, then all objects are seen 
double ; but if the sight of one is much better than that of the 
other, the mind only attends to the more vivid impression, and dis- 
regards the weaker. Squinting is owing to some affection of the 
nerves or muscles of the eye. In most cases, it admits of cure by 
the operation of dividing the muscle by which the distortion is pro- 
duced. 

ULCERATION OF THE CORNEA. 

To relieve pain, bathe with a solution of the pith of sassafras. 
Give attention to the bowels, to delay the progress of the case until 
aid can be obtained. 

FILMS ON THE EYE (Pterygium). 

This disease appears as a triangular opaque membrane, supplied 
with many long red vessels, with its sharp point slowly creeping on 
to the clear part of the eye, generally from the inner side, and 
crowned with a little brown lump at its angle. Its growth is not 
inflammatory, but it frequently becomes inflamed with cold. Astrin- 
gent washes, such as sulphate of copper, three grains ; sulphate of 
zinc, four grains ; or acetate of lead, six grains to the ounce of water, 
will sometimes cause it to shrink and disappear for a time ; but, if 
they give uneasiness to the eye, they must be omitted. When this 



DISEASES OF THE EYE. 115 

affection encroaches permanently upon the sight, we perform, for 
its relief, certain surgical operations, neither painful nor dangerous, 
but troublesome and of rather doubtful success. 

WATERY EYE. 

If we look closely at the inner corner of the eyelids, we may per- 
ceive a little point at each, which is the opening of a duct that runs 
into the nose. These openings convey the tears from the eye ; every 
time the eye is shut in winking, the fluid is forced into those pipes. 
Now, when either or both become so thickened as to be stopped up, 
the tears of necessity fall over the cheek ; this is called watery eye. 

Treatment— As the cause of this disease is most commonly in- 
flammation, it may be relieved in its early stages by a plan directed 
towards the lessening of that inflammation, and the best is as fol- 
lows: Free the bowels well with salts; repeat this in three days 
afterwards, and apply the following eye-water: Take of common 
water two ounces ; sulphate of zinc, four grains ; laudanum, half a 
drachm ; mix, and apply frequently. Cold must be strictly avoided. 
If the complaint be not removed by the adoption of this treatment, 
surgical assistance must be obtained immediately, for if the disease 
be allowed to proceed unchecked, the consequence will be a far 
more serious and troublesome affection. 

WEAKNESS OF THE EYES. 

We give below some excellent washes for ordinary weakness of 

the eyes: — 

Sulphate of Copper, 15 grains. 

Camphor, 4 grains. 

Boiling "Water, 4 ounces. 

Mix; strain, and when cold, make up to four pints with water. 
Bathe the eye night and morning with a portion of the mixture. 
Or the following: — 

Spirit of Mindererus* 1 ounce. 

Rose "Water, 7 ounces. 

Mix, and use occasionally ; or this : — 

White Vitriol, 10 grains. 

Elder-Flower Water, 8 ounces. 

Mix, and apply as occasion may demand. 



116 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

SYMPTOMS OF DISEASE. 

A few remarks on the appearance of the eye as symptomatic of 
disease, may be useful in conclusion. 

A Blood-Shot Eye may indicate either inflammation, or conges- 
tion, or extravasation of blood in the organ itself, or catarrh, or 
influenza, but measles especially. 

Contracted Pupil, if it be not the result of local disease, shows 
that some serious mischief is going on in the brain. There may be 
compression, or watery effusion. This is not unfrequently the re- 
sult of taking large doses of opium. 

Dilated Pupil occurs in amaurosis, and several diseases of the 
brain. Small doses of opium will frequently produce this ; and the 
outward application of atropine, or belladonna, will nearly always 
do so. 

Intolerance of Light we have already spoken of as a symptom of 
strumous ophthalmia. In severe headaches, fevers, and inflammation 
of the brain, it is also met with. 

Prominence of the Eyeballs ma y result from dropsy of the eye 
itself, but it is often symptomatic of some obscure disease affecting 
the brain or heart. 

Smarting of the Eye occurs in acute ophthalmia, and in that stage 
of measles in which these organs are particularly affected. 

Squinting, although commonly a chronic condition of the muscles 
of the eye, is, when it comes on in the course of active disease, in- 
dicative of mischief in the brain, which may terminate in apoplexy. 

"Watering of the Eyes is, when acute, symptomatic of influenza; 
when chronic, of some obstruction to the flow of tears through the 
nasal duct. 

Yellowness of the whites of the eyes precedes and accompanies 
jaundice, and indicates an improper action of the liver. 

CAUTION. 

It should be borne in mind that when lead or mercury, in any of 
their forms of combination, are applied to the eye for any length of 
time, they are likely to produce opacity of the cornea, and conse- 
quent dimness of vision ; and even without this result, the white, 
by the use of nitrate of silver, may become permanently stained of 
an olive color. 



DISEASES OF THE EYE. 117 

Herbal, or Eclectic Treatment for the Eyes. 

These simple means are sometimes the most useful that can be 
employed in eye complaints. For inflammatory affections, keep the 
patient in a darkened room, and give the eyes perfect rest. Bathe 
them with a little warm milk and water. Poultices of hops or 
poppy-leayes are very good. If the pain is very severe, use stramo- 
nium leaves. The following is an excellent eye-wash : — 

Yellow Root, j? ounce. 

Green Tea, |- ounce. 

Boiling Water, 1 pint. 

Steep together, and add sulphate of zinc, 1 drachm. When cold, 
strain through a white flannel. When the inflammation has de- 
creased, use a wash compound of 1 drachm each of powdered white 
hazle and golden seal leaves, with one gill of boiling water. Let 
the powders remain about ten or fifteen minutes, then strain; bathe 
the eye frequently during the day. 

For chronic inflammation of the eyes, an excellent remedy is the 
following: Dissolve one ounce of gum camphor and two ounces of 
turkey oil ; pour a few drops of alcohol on the camphor to cause it 
to pulverize ; then add the oil, and rub them in a mortar till dis- 
solved. Anoint the eyes two or three times a day. 

For weakness of the sight and imperfect vision, a powder made 
of dried barberry-root, and used as snuff, has been found very bene- 
ficial; as has also one grain of cayenne steeped in one ounce of 
water,— a little dropped in the eye occasionally. 

On the Care of the Eyes, 

The eyes are in such sympathy with the body that a disordered 
stomach, enervating pursuits, or unwholesome diet or air will at 
once affect them. These matters should be studiously attended to. 
In reading or sewing always let the light strike from behind, and 
not in front of the eyes Many eyes have been ruined by not attend- 
ing to this matter. Glasses should be worn when difficulty is ex- 
perienced in reading a book held less than eight inches from the 
eye. Glasses, if properly selected, will not injure the sight, but 
preserve it. It is better, however, not to use glasses till they are 
absolutely indispensable, ^jpid quack eye ointments and washes. 
If the eye is diseased, consurc a respectable surgeon. Practice tem- 
perance in all things. 



118 



OUE FAMILY DOCTOB. 



THE EAR. 



ANATOMY AND FUNCTIONS. 




1, pinna; 2, lobule; 3, tube; 4, tympanic membrane; 5, incus, or anvil; 6, malleus, or ham- 
mer ; 7, Eustachian tube ; 8, semicircular canals ; 9, vestibule ; 10, cochlea. 



The Eae, the organ of hearing, consists of three parts, — the ex- 
ternal ear, the middle ear or tympanum, and the internal ear or 
labyrinth. The external ear consists of an expanded trumpet-shaped 
cartilaginous structure, called the pinna, or auricle, which collects 
the sounds, and a tube which conveys Jthese sounds to the internal 
ear. The pinna, or auricle, consists of an uneven piece of yellow 
cartilage, covered with integument, and fixed to the margin of the 



THE EAR: ANATOMY AND FUNCTIONS. 119 

auditory canal. This canal, the meatus auditorius externus, or tube 
by which sound is conveyed from the pinna to the internal ear, or 
tympanum, is about one and a quarter inches in length, and is 
formed partly by bone and partly by cartilage and membrane. Its 
direction is obliquely forwards and inwards, and is somewhat bent 
downwards towards the middle, so that it is rather higher there 
than at either extremity. The skin lining the auditory canal is very 
thin, and closely adherent to the cartilaginous and osseous portions 
of the tube. It is continued over the membrane of the tympanum 
in the form of a thin pellicle, forming its outer covering. Around 
the entrance of the meatus are some fine hairs; and there are also 
ceruminous glands, which secrete the ear-wax, and open on the sur- 
face by separate orifices. 

The middle ear, tympanum, or drum of the ear, is an irregular 
cavity situated within the petrous bone, and interposed between the 
meatus auditorius and the labyrinth, or inner ear. It is filled with 
air, and communicates with the pharynx by the Eustachian tube. 
It is traversed by a chain of small movable bones, which connect the 
membrana tympani with the labyrinth, and serve to convey the 
vibrations communicated to the membrana tympani across the cavity 
of the tympanum to the internal ear. The outer boundary of the 
cavity is formed by the membrana tympani, and by a small portion 
of the surrounding bone. This membrane is a thin, semi-transpa- 
rent substance, nearly oval in form, separating the cavity of the 
tympanum from the bottom of the auditory canal. 

The Eustachian Tube is the channel through which air is conveyed 
from the pharynx to the tympanum. The small bones, or ossicles, 

Fig. 30. Fig. 31. Fig. 32. 





The Incus. The Stapes. The Malleus. 

of the tympanum are three in number, — the malleus, incus, and 
stapes. These small bones are connected together, and with the 
tympanum, by ligaments, and moved by small muscles. 



120 



OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 



The inner and fundamental portion of the organ of hearing is 
called, from its complexity, the labyrinth, and consists of three parts, 
— the vestibule, the semicircular canals, and the cochlea. It con- 
sists of a series of cavities channelled out of the substance of the 
petrous bone, communicating externally with the cavity of the tym- 
panum, and internally with the meatus auditorius interims, which 
contains the auditory nerve. Within the osseous labyrinth is con- 
tained the membranous labyrinth, upon which the ramifications of 
the auditory nerve are distributed. 

The Vestibule is the common central cavity of the osseous laby- 
rinth, and is placed behind the cochlea, but in front of the semi- 
circular canals. These are three bony canals, situated above and 
behind the vestibule, measuring about one-twentieth of an inch in 
diameter, and opening at both ends into the vestibule. 

Fig. 33. 




Section showing the hollow of the Cochlea. 

The Cochlea, so called from its resemblance to a snail's shell, is 
conical in form, and placed almost horizontally in front of the ves- 
tibule. Its length is about a quarter of an inch, and its width at 
the base about the same. It consists of an axis, or centre ; of a canal 
winding spirally round it for two turns and a half from the base to 
the apex ; and of a delicate lamina contained within the canal, which 
follows its windings, and subdivides it into two passages. The whole 
inner surface of the labyrinth, including the semicircular canals and 
the passages of the cochlea, is lined with a thin fibrous membrane, 
the outer surface of which adheres closely to the bone, while the 
inner is covered with a single layer of epithelium, like that on serous 
membranes, and secretes a thin serous fluid, called the liquor co- 
tunnii, or perilymph. The auditory nerve, which is distributed 



DISEASES OF THE EAK. 121 

over the different parts of the labyrinth, enters by the meatus audi- 
torius internus, and divides into two branches, viz., an anterior for 
the cochlea and a posterior for the membranous labyrinth. 

DISEASES OF THE EAK. 
DEAFNESS (Surditas). 

Deafness may proceed from any injury inflicted on the delicate 
organs of the ear by loud noises, violent colds, inflammation or ul- 
ceration of the membrane of the auditory passages ; hard wax, or 
other substances interrupting the transmission of sounds; either 
over dryness, or excessive moisture in the parts; want of tone in 
the general system from debility. Among one of its frequent 
causes, is some defect in the structure of the organ itself, which no 
medical treatment can obviate ; in this case there is generally dumb- 
ness as well. 

Treatment. — The treatment depends to a considerable extent on 
the cause. If there is an accumulation of hardened wax, or any de- 
fective or diseased action in the secreting glands of that substance, 
a few drops of a saturated solution of common salt, or of ox-gall and 
balsam of tolu, one part of the former to three of the latter, may be 
dropped into the ear, while the head is held on one side, night and 
morning ; or applied on a piece of wadding inserted by means of a 
probe. Before each application, the ear should be syringed out 
with warm milk and water, or soap and water. If there is a thin 
acrid discharge accompanying the deafness, syringe the ear with 
warm water or a decoction of poppies. "When deafness proceeds 
from cold in the head, diaphoretics, the warm foot-bath, and flannel 
wrappers, must be the remedies ; if from debility and consequent 
loss of tone, drop stimulants into the ear, electrify or galvanize, and 
give tonics ; this will be the treatment, also, if it proceeds from de- 
fective energy of the optic nerve. 

EAR-ACHE (Otalgia). 

Ear-ache may proceed from abscess in one or more of the passages, 
or it may be altogether neuralgic. In children it is not uncommon 
during the period of dentition, and is especially severe in cutting 
the permanent teeth. Grown persons sometimes suffer from it 
when producing their wisdom-teeth. It is often brought on by ex- 



122 OUE FAMILY DOCTOR. 

posure to cold or draughts. There is not often much constitutional 
derangement, although the pain is sometimes excruciating, unless 
it is long continued. 

Treatment. — In children, during dentition, lancing the swollen 
gums will often afford relief, especially if an aperient be given, such 
as rhubarb and magnesia combined with a little ginger. Elder 
children may have three or four drops of olive or almond oil, with 
one or two drops of laudanum dropped into the ear, and take com- 
pound senna mixture, repeated until the bowels are freely opened. 
Should these remedies not prove effectual, a fomentation of camo- 
miles and poppies should be applied, and a warm poultice after- 
wards. The heart of a roasted onion applied warm to the external 
orifice will sometimes afford relief. If the case is very obstinate, 
two or three leeches behind the ear, followed by a blister, may be 
tried, with an anodyne saline aperient, something like this : — 

Acetate of Morphine, i grain. 

Solution of Acetate of Ammonia, 3 ounces. 

Sulphate of Magnesia, 1 ounce. 

"Water or Camphor Mixture, 5 ounces. 

Mix, and take two tablespoonsful every four hours. 

"When ear-ache is caused by an abscess, and is attended with much 
swelling and severe pain, hot fomentations and poultices will be the 
treatment, syringing the external passage with warm water; and, 
after the abscess has discharged, with a solution of sulphate of zinc, 
in the proportion of eight grains to the ounce of plain, or rose water, 
attention being paid to the bowels. With some persons any de- 
rangement of the general health will cause the formation of these 
abscesses, and in such cases the treatment must be rather general 
than local. Ear-ache, no doubt, often proceeds from derangement 
of the digestive organs, and may be relieved by active purgatives 
and emetics. 

Where a tonic is required, the following will be found very 
good: — 

Citrate of Iron, 1 drachm. 

Strychnine, 1 drachm. 

Syrup of Orange-peel, 2 ounces. 

Soft Water, \ pint. 

Mix. Dose, one teaspoonful three times a day. 



DISEASES OE THE EAR. 123 

FOREIGN BODIES IN THE EAR. 

Insects -occasionally make their way into the external ear, par- 
ticularly in children, when lying on the grass. They sometimes 
produce horrible torture by irritating the drum of the ear. 

Treatment. — Let the child recline with the opposite ear upon a 
pillow, and fill the affected one with sweet oil. There is no insect 
that will not perish, or make good its retreat, when this method is 
pursued. 

Solid substances are frequently pushed into the ear by children, 
where, if large, they sometimes occasion much inflammation, and 
become firmly wedged by the swelling. Great danger of destruction 
to the drum and small bones of the ear results from awkward at- 
tempts at removing such substances, by which they are driven still 
deeper into the canal. If the foreign body have any visible project- 
ing point, of which a firm hold can be taken, this may be seized by 
forceps or pincers, and the body removed directly; but when the 
substance is rounded, or formed with many faces, or extremely 
smooth and cylindrical, it is very wrong even to attempt its removal 
by any such means. Cherry-stones, apple-seeds, common beads, 
garnets, bugle beads, and pieces of red coral, furnish many cases in 
point. 

If we attempt to seize them in front, they instantly slip farther 
in, and endanger the drum. We must get behind them and 
hook them out, always proceeding with great caution. Sudden and 
severe pain warns us when we touch the drum of the ear, and then 
all considerable pressure in the inward direction must cease. When 
the foreign body is small in proportion to the size of the canal, it 
may generally be removed by means of the little steel ear-picker on 
the handle of the common pocket tweezers ; but, when larger, the 
eye of a fine bodkin or silver probe should be gently curved and 
inserted beyond the body to draw it forward. A few drops of sweet 
oil, previously dropped into the ear, will very much facilitate the 
operation. 

As children sometimes fancy things have got into the ear when 
they really have not, it is best to institute an examination before 
attempting their removal. This may be done by drawing the upper 
lobe of the ear upwards and backwards, which will have the effect 
of straightening the curved passage so that the eye can discern the 
drum at the bottom, unless there is an interposing object. 



124 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

INFLAMMATION OF THE EAR {Otitis). 

Inflammation of the ear is characterized by an acute and increas- 
ing pain, with tenderness on pressure or moving the jaw, accompa- 
nied with fever. Sometimes the external ear is the seat of the dis- 
ease, sometimes the internal, or both may be involved. There is 
frequently impaired or confused hearing, and often the pain is so 
acute as to produce delirium. On examination, the meatus is ob- 
served to be more or less red, swollen, tender, and dry. After a 
time, if the disease progresses, suppuration takes place, and pus is 
discharged. If this happens in the inner ear, frequently the tympa- 
num ulcerates and bursts, so as to afford exit to the collected mat- 
ter. An obstinate discharge may remain after the other symptoms 
have disappeared. There frequently remains, also, a thickening of 
the lining membrane of the meatus, or of its cartilages, thus nar- 
rowing the passage, a thickening or perforation of the membrana 
tympani, an obstruction of the Eustachian tube, the loss of one or 
more of the small bones, or caries of the mastoid apophysis and 
petrous portion of the temporal bone, occasioning deafness more or 
less complete. 

Causes. — It is usually caused by cold, or exposure to currents 
of cold air, injudicious bathing, violent syringing, or probing, or 
otherwise causing irritation of the ear. 

Treatment. — It is to be treated with fomentations and poultices, 
and the repeated application of leeches. At the same time, active 
purgatives are to be administered. The ear should also be fre- 
quently syringed with warm water. 

NOISES IN THE EAR. 

Noises in the ear like the distant sound of bells, roaring of the 
sea, hissing, singing, &c, are often indicative of a determination of 
blood to the head. With some, mere derangement of the digestive 
organs will cause these noises. "When accompanied by a certain 
degree of deafness, they are generally occasioned by an accumula- 
tion of wax in the external passage, or a partial stoppage of the 
Eustachian tube by cold. When the noises become chronic, or long 
continued, bathing the head regularly every morning with cold 
water will sometimes remove them. If cold be the cause, or dis- 
ordered stomach, they will pass away with the temporary ailments 
which occasioned them. If too great a fullness of the veins of the 



DISEASES OF THE EAR. 125 

head, cupping, leeching, or abstraction of blood by means of the 
lancet, with a depletive course of treatment, must be adopted. 

POLYPUS OP THE EAR. 

Polypus of the ear is by no means an uncommon form of the fun- 
goid growth, which sometimes occurs in several of the internal tis- 
sues. It is of a jelly-like consistence, and a whitish yellow color, 
and is attached to the membraneous lining of the ear. There are 
also granulations of fungus which sometimes shoot up from the 
membrane, and are distinguished by their reddish hue from polypi. 
These may generally be removed by being held firmly with a pair 
of forceps, and then gently twisted and pulled at the same time. 
This should only be done by a properly qualified person, as much 
mischief may result from the unskillful application of the forceps to 
so delicate a part. Sometimes, when the polypus is in the external 
passage, and not far up, it may be destroyed by astringent applica- 
tions, such as the muriated tincture of steel, or burnt alum, applied 
with a camel-hair brush. 

RUNNINGS OF THE EAR. 
Delicate and scrofulous children are liable to a yellow discharge, 
which suddenly comes on, and is at first often stained with blood, 
and accompanied by i^verishness and great pain in the parts. There 
is generally redness and swelling of the passages of the meatus, and 
inflammation of the surrounding skin. This may arise from an in- 
flamed state of the membrane which lines the passages, or from an 
abscess formed beneath it, or between the cells of the bones of the 
mastoid process. The discharge may be caused by some foreign 
substance thrust into the ear. 

Treatment. — For the purulent discharge from the ear, which is 
induced by this or any other cause, a lotion made with two drachms 
of solution of chlorinated soda to six ounces of rose, or elder -flower 
water, should be injected, but not with any force. The best method 
is to let it flow into the ear, held so as to receive it fairly, from a 
small sponge saturated with the lotion. 

Counter-irritation will sometimes have a good effect on purulent 
discharges from scrofula or other causes. A small blister behind 
the ear is the best application, but it should not be kept open for 
any length of time, or it will weaken the system too much. When 
the discharge is the result of active inflammation, and is attended 
by febrile symptoms, a spare diet and aperients must be the treat- 



126 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

ment; but weakly scrofulous systems require a generous diet and 
tonic medicines. 

WAX IN THE EAR. 

When this substance becomes too hard, or accumulates too much, 
there will be a sense of contraction, with cracking or hissing noises, 
and generally deafness to a considerable extent. In this case the 
ear should be syringed with warm soap-suds, the instrument used 
being a proper one for the purpose, holding about four ounces, and 
having but a small tube or pipe which does not fill the whole pas- 
sage, but allows the escape of the back-water, for catching which a 
hand-basin should be held close against the neck. As many as a 
dozen syringefuls may be injected at one time. A strong lotion 
should be put into the ear-passage over night, and kept there by 
means of cotton wool or wadding. Almond-oil and laudanum, in 
the proportion of two ounces of the former to one of the latter, 
is a good application in this case, as in many other kinds of ear- 
disease. 

ABSCESS IN THE EAR 

Apply bread poultices to the ear, and warm fomentations ; syringe 
the ear with warm milk and water. "When the abscess has broken 
and discharged freely, the ear must be kept very clean, and a syringe- 
ful of a slightly astringent lotion, such as ten grains of sulphate of 
zinc to a quarter of a pint of rose-water, be injected lukewarm twice 
a day. 

Or this will be found beneficial: — 

When there is much discharge, injections of warm soap and water, 
blisters behind the ear, or a drop or two of the following mixture 
put into the ear will be found beneficial: ox-gall, three drachms; 
balsam of Peru, one drachm. Mix. 



THE NOSE: ANATOMY AND FUNCTIONS. 



127 



THE NOSE. 



ANATOMY, STRUCTURE, AND FUNCTIONS. 



Fig. 34. 



Fig. 35. 




Framework of the Nose. Muscles of the Nose. 



1. part of upper jaw-bone; 2, nose bone; 3, 
upper side cartilage ; 4, lower do. ; 5, cellular 
tissue. 



1, pyramidal muscle of the nose ; 2, muscle 
to lift the side cartilages ; 3, compressor of 
the nose ; 4, front dilator of the nostril ; 5, 
small compressor of the nostril; 7, muscle to 
pull down the side cartilages, 



The Nose is the organ of smell in vertebrated animals ; and, in the 
three highest classes, is connected with the respiratory function. 
In man, the nose, anatomically considered, consists of two large 
cavities, called nostrils (nares), a right and a left, formed by the 
bones of the face, and separated from each other by a perpendicular 
flat partition, called the septum narium. The septum of the nose 
is formed by the vomer, the nasal lamella of the ethmoid bone, and 
an extensive cartilage. The nasal cavities are bounded anteriorly 
by the nasal bones, superiorly by the frontal bone and the cribriform 



128 



OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 



plate of the ethmoid bone, and posteriorly by the body of the 
sphenoid. The floor is formed by the superior maxillary and palatal 
bones, and the outer wall by the ethmoid, the internal pterygoid 
plates of the sphenoid bone, the lachrymal bone, inferior spongy 
bone, palatal bone, and superior maxillary. 



Fig 




Septum of the Nose and its Nerves. 

1, nerve of the lobe of the nose ; 2, olfactory lobe ; 3, nerves of the septum ; 4, nerve of the 
palate. 

Each nostril is divided by the spongy bone into chambers, termed 
the superior, middle, and inferior meatus. The upper wall of the 
nose is pierced by numerous foramina, through which enter the fila- 
ments of the olfactory, or nerve of smell. The mucous membrane 
lining the nose is called the Schneiderian, or pituitary, and is con- 
tinuous with the common integument anteriorly, and with the mu- 
cous membrane of the pharynx posteriorly. It is, for the most part, 
well supplied with vessels, especially veins, and presents also nu- 
merous glandular follicles, whose secretion is well known. It re- 
ceives the filaments of the nerves of smell and of common sensation. 
The nerves of smell arise from the anterior lobes of the cerebral 
hemispheres, and their bulbs rest on the cribriform plate of the 
ethmoid bone, which the branches pierce, to the number of fifteen 



DISEASES OF THE NOSE. 129 

or twenty, on each side, and then, running under the mucous mem- 
brane, are distributed principally to the septum and outer wall of 
the nose, communicating with the filaments from the sympathetic 
cerebral ganglia. 

Besides smell, the nose has ordinary sensation, like other parts of 
the face, depending on filaments of the trifacial or fifth pair of cere- 
bral nerves. The external prominent part of the nose, which gives 
character to the feature, is composed of several cartilages connected 
to the bones and to each other by strong fibrous tissue, sufficiently 
firm to preserve the shape of the organ, and so elastic and flexible 
as to permit the expansion and contraction of the nostrils in respi- 
ration. The nose is not only the organ of smelling, but serves also 
as the chief passage of the air into the lungs, and has a considerable 
influence upon the voice. 

DISEASES OF THE NOSE. 

BLEEDING AT THE NOSE. 

Persons of a sanguine temperament, and full habit of body, are 
most subject to this disease; but it ought to be regarded as a salu- 
tary provision for the relief of the overcharged system. If it does 
not run to a weakening extent it is very questionable whether it 
should be interfered with. Those who are troubled with vertigo 
and headache, arising from a fullness of the veins and a tendency of 
blood to the head, know how much better and lighter they feel after 
a good bleeding from the nose ; and there can be no doubt that 
many a fit of apoplexy has been averted by it, and many an attack 
of inflammatory fever, or inflammation of the brain. 

Causes. — Violent exercise, great heat, blows on the part, the 
long maintenance of a stooping posture, and a peculiar smallness of 
the vessels which convey the blood to the brain, rendering them 
liable to rupture. It may come on without any previous warning, 
or be preceded by headache and a sense of heaviness, singing noises 
in the ear, heat and itching of the nostrils, throbbing of the tem- 
poral artery, and accelerated pulse. 

Treatment. — When it comes on too frequently and continues 
long, so as to cause faintness, and especially if the person subject 
to it be of a weakly habit or advanced in years, it should be stopped 
as soon as possible. The stoppage may sometimes be effected by 



130 OUR FAMILY DOCTOK. 

immersing the head in cold water, free exposure to cool air, and 
drinking cool acidulous liquids. The body of the patient should 
maintain an erect position, with the head thrown somewhat back, a 
key or other cold substance be applied to the spinal cord, vinegar 
be snuffed up the nostrils, or an astringent wash injected with a 
syringe. It may be composed as follows : Alum and acetic acid, of 
each two drachms; water, six ounces. Or three drachms of the 
muriated tincture of iron in the same quantity of water. Or, if these 
fail, the nostrils may be plugged with lint dipped in a strong solu- 
tion of the sulphate of copper ; or the lint first moistened, and then 
dipped in finely powdered charcoal. When the bleeding has stopped 
there should be no haste to remove the clotted blood from the nos- 
trils. Let it come away of itself ; do not blow the nose violently, 
nor take stimulants, unless there be excessive faintness, in which 
case a little cold brandy and water may be taken. Where there is a 
full habit of body, cooling medicines and low diet may be safely 
advised. 

CATARRH. 

Catarrh, or cold in the head, is the most common of all the dis- 
orders to which the human body is subject, more particularly in 
variable climates, like our own. There are two kinds of this disease, 
— the one a common cold; the other, influenza or epidemic cold. 
A common catarrh is an inflammatory state of the mucous mem- 
branes of the head or chest. In the former case it is called cold in 
the head, or coryza ; in the latter, cold on the chest, or bronchitis. 

Causes. — The common cause of this disease is exposure to a 
cold or damp atmosphere, or to draughts, especially when the sur 
face of the body is warm or perspiring. It is frequently occasioned 
by passing directly from a warm into a cold atmosphere, and, we 
believe, even more frequently by passing immediately from a cold 
into a warm atmosphere. Indeed, any sudden atmospheric change 
is apt, in delicate persons, to produce cold; but in passing from a 
warm room to the cold air, people generally take some care, though 
they are not generally aware that the like danger attends passing 
directly from the cold air into a heated room, and hence do not pro- 
vide against it. 

Symptoms. — The symptoms of a cold in the head are a sense of 
uneasiness, heat, and stuffing in the nostrils, diminution or loss of 
smell, dull heavy pain in the forehead, inflamed eyes, sneezing, and 



DISEASES OF THE NOSE. 131 

a slight impediment in breathing. Generally, it extends also to the 
throat and chest, occasioning hoarseness, cough, and difficulty of 
breathing. Frequently there is also a general derangement of the 
system, loss of appetite, lassitude, chilliness, succeeded by dry 
feverish heats, and stiffness of the joints. The nostrils discharge 
a fluid at first thin and acrid, but which afterwards becomes thicker, 
and often purulent. 

Treatment. — The treatment of a common cold is usually a simple 
matter. Confinement to the house for a day or two, a warm foot- 
bath, diluent drinks, abstinence from animal food and vinous or 
other fermented liquors, and a dose or two of some gentle laxative, 
are usually sufficient to remove the disease. There is also what is 
called the dry method of cure, which has the advantage of not re- 
quiring confinement to the house, though, otherwise, some might 
be inclined to regard the cure as worse than the disease. It con- 
sists simply in abstinence from every kind of drink, no liquor, or 
next to none, being allowed until the disease is gone. Dr. Williams, 
its inventor, states that the necessary privation is not hard to bear, 
and that a cure is effected, on an average, in forty-eight hours. He 
allows, without recommending, a tablespoonful of tea or milk for 
the morning and evening meals, and a wineglassful of water at bed- 
time. The principle acted upon is that of cutting off the supply of 
watery materials to the blood, and thus leaving nothing to feed the 
secretion from the inflamed mucous membrane. The best preventive 
against cold is the daily use of the cold bath, and this is the best 
means that can be adopted by those who have an habitual tendency 
to this disease. It should, however, be begun in summer, and the 
water ought to be at first tepid ; but, after being begun, the practice 
may be continued throughout the winter. 

CHRONIC CATARRH (Ulceration of the Nose). 

This is usually the result of neglected common catarrh, and is ex- 
ceedingly troublesome, lasting sometimes for years. 

Symptoms. — When the inflammation has continued, and ulceration 
taken place, matter is secreted, which falls down into the throat. 
This is one of the worst features of this disease, as the matter often 
finds its way into the stomach, causing a general derangement of 
the system. In the morning, on rising, great difficulty is experienced 
in clearing the head and throat. The smell is impaired, and some- 
times destroyed. Loss of appetite and general emaciation frequently 
occur. 



132 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

Treatment. — The treatment consists chiefly of local washes or in- 
jections. If no syringe or douche is at hand, they may be snuffed 
up the nose. A solution of chloride of potassa, soda, or, lime, is 
highly recommended, where the discharge is offensive. An injection 
composed of acetate of lead, sulphate of zinc, sulphate of copper, or 
nitrate of silver, has been found very beneficial, as has also the in- 
halation of the vapor of creosote, tar, and vinegar. Common salt is 
also a good remedy. Alum has been known to arrest the most 
violent attack in a few minutes. Place about a half drachm in the 
mouth, and let it dissolve gradually; swallowing a little occasion- 
ally. 

Herbal, or Eclectic Treatment for Catarrh. 

Promote a free perspiration, by taking every night warm hoar- 
hound or boneset tea, which may be drank cold during the day. If 
the cough is troublesome, take a tea made of slippery-elm bark, or 
flax-seed. Add a little lemon-juice, and sweeten. 

The following is also an excellent remedy for a cough : — Take the 
yolks of two fresh eggs ; beat them up well in a basin ; then add a 
quarter pound of moist sugar, and beat them together. Take ano- 
ther vessel; mix a wineglassful of white-wine vinegar and the juice 
of two large lemons. Stir all these ingredients up ; mix them, and 
put the whole into a bottle and cork it close. It is fit for use at 
once. Take a tablespoonful when the cough is troublesome. 

FOREIGN SUBSTANCES IN THE NOSE. 

Sometimes foreign bodies, such as pieces of tobacco-pipe, &c, get 
pushed up the nose by children. If it is a bean, or anything which 
swells by absorption of moisture, the extraction is a matter of great 
difficulty. This should not be attempted by other than a professed 
surgeon ; yet if the assistance of such cannot be readily obtained, 
the effort may be made by means of the flat end of a probe or a sil- 
ver bodkin, bent in about the eighth of an inch at the end, and the 
instrument then introduced and passed beyond the object, so as to 
draw it out as with a hook, when the foreign body has not pene- 
trated far. If the opposite nostril is closed, and the child is made 
to blow the nose violently, it may sometimes be driven out. 

INFLAMED AND ULCERATED NOSE. 

When the lining membrane of the nose is inflamed and ulcerated, 



DISEASES OF THE NOSE. 133 

a solution of carbonate of soda in warm water thrown up oy a sy- 
ringe will be of service. If the purulent discharge be offensive, a 
few drops of the solution of chloride of soda or lime should be 
added to this. 

POLYPUS OF THE NOSE. 

Polypus is a name given to a tumor generally occurring in the 
nose, but sometimes in the womb, or the ear, and so named from 
an erroneous idea that it had many roots or feet. It is the result 
of an excessive growth of the mucous membrane, and sometimes 
assumes a malignant character. It may be either of a soft texture 
so as easily to tear and bleed, or firm and fibrous, or even almost 
cartilaginous. The color is commonly a yellowish grey, and it has 
little or no sensibility, although it causes much pain by its pressure 
upon the surrounding parts, stoppage of secretions, &c. It is at- 
tached to the surface from which it springs by a narrow neck like a 
footstalk. When in the nose it interferes with the breathing, so 
that the patient sleeps with the mouth open. In this situation it 
may sometimes be destroyed by the persevering use of astringent 
applications, such as the tincture of steel, applied with a camel-hair 
brush, twice a day, or a little burnt alum taken like snuff. 



134 OUE FAMILY DOCTOB. 



THE FACE, LIPS, MOUTH, JAWS, TEETH, AND GUMS. 



ANATOMY AND FUNCTIONS. 



The Face is the lower and front portion of the head. It consists 
of fourteen bones firmly joined together, except in the instance of 
the lower jawbone. The principal cavities are the orbits of the 
eyes, the opening for the passage of the tears into the nose, and the 
opening for the optic nerves. The nasal cavity in the skull is large, 
— the nose being composed chiefly of cartilage, divided by thin ver- 
tical plates, pierced above with numerous holes for the passage of 
the olfactory nerves. 

The muscles of the face are numerous ; and to these we are in- 
debted for that infinite variety of expression that characterizes the 
human countenance, and gives manifestation to the workings of the 
human mind. 

The Lips are the edge or border of the mouth. In man, and some 
other animals, the lips are two fleshy muscular parts, composing 
the exterior of the mouth. In man they cover the teeth, and form 
part of the organs of speech, being essential to the utterance of 
certain sounds, called labiates in consequence. These parts owe 
their red color to their extremely vascular structure, and the thin- 
ness of the covering membrane; and their sensitiveness, to their 
abundant supply of minute nerves. By the color and general ap- 
pearance of the lips, we may often judge with tolerable accuracy of 
the health of the individual : if they be pale, and thin, and shrunken, 
there is a deficiency of the red globules in the blood, and a want of 
vigor in the circulation. This we find to be the case in anaemia and 
some other forms of disease. When the lips are full, and have 
more or less purple in their tint, we know that the blood does not 
undergo its proper changes, and that there is danger of congestion 
towards the brain. 



THE FACE: ANATOMY AND FUNCTIONS. 



135 



The Mouth is the cavity in which the tongue and teeth are con- 
tained, which serves as a receptacle for the food which is to be 
conveyed to the stomach, and by means of which articulate sounds 
are rendered possible. The parts which are immediately connected 
with it are the lips, the upper and lower jaws, the palate and tonsils, 
and the fauces generally. It is lined by the mucous membrane, 



Fig. 37. 



Fig. 38. 




,6^ 



The right side of the Superior Maxillary, 
as seen in its lateral aspect. 

1, the external or facial surface ; 2, the 
posterior or zygomatic surface ; 3, the 
superior or orbital surface; 4, the infra- 
orbital foramen ; 5, the infra-orbital canal ; 
6, the inferior border of the orbit; 7, the 
malar process ; 8, the nasal process ; 9, the 
concavity forming the lateral boundary of 
the anterior nares ; 10, the nasal spine ; 11, 
the incisive or myrtiform fossa; 12, the al- 
veolar process ; 13, the interior border of the 
orbital surface, which articulates with the 
ethmoid and palate bones ; 14, the concavity 
which articulates with the lachrymal bone, 
and forms the commencement of the nasal 
duct ; 15, the crista nasalis of the palate pro- 
cess; i marks the two incisor teeth ; c, ca- 
nine ; 6. the two bicuspidati ; m, the three 
molars. 




The Lower Jaw, 
or Inflrior Maxillary. 

1, horizontal portion, or body; 2, the sym- 
phosis ; 3, the point of conjunction between 
tne two lateral halves ot the bone in the 
young subject; 4, the mental foramen; 5, 
an oblique opening for the exit of the men- 
tal nerve and inferior dental artery ; 6, ex- 
ternal oblique ridge, which runs upward, 
and outward to the base of the coronoid 
process, and gives attachment to several 
muscles ; 7, the groove for the facial artery, 
the situation of which is marked by a notch 
on the bone, a little in front of the cipher; 
8, the angle, and 9 the extremity of the mjlo- 
hyoidean ridge, which gives attachment to 
several muscles; 10, the coronoid process; 
11, the condyle; 12, the sigmoid notch; 13, 
the inferior dental foramen ; 14, the niylo- 
hyoidean groove ; 15, the alveolar process ; 
i, the middle and lateral incisor tooth of one 
side ; c, canine tooth ; b, two bicuspids ; m, 
three molars. 



which stretches from the tongue to the lower jaw, and is surrounded 
by the salivary glands, which open into ducts in various parts of 
the cavity, and supply it with moisture. 

The Upper Jaw, or, as they are generally called, the Superior 
maxillary bones, are the largest bones in the face, with the exception 



136 



OUK FAMILY DOCTOB. 



of the inferior maxillary or lower jawbone. They form, by their 
union, the whole of the upper jaw, and assist in the construction of 
the nose, orbit, cheek, and palate. 

The muscles of the jaws, as might be supposed from the work 
they have to do, are strong and numerous. The action of the lower 
jaw is effected by the attachment of fourteen pairs, and of the upper 
by that of ten muscles. Many nerves, arteries, and veins, are also 
connected with them. 

The Teeth. — True bony teeth are found only in the higher or 
vertebrated animals, and of these only the highest class, — the mam- 
malia, at the head of which is man, have them in single rows in each 
jaw. The human adult has these rows arched, and sixteen teeth in 
each row. They are of three kinds, as represented in the following 
diagram : — 

First we have the large teeth 
behind, with broad flat surfaces, 
which, on account of their func- 
tions, are called Grinders (a) ; they 
are sometimes termed Molar Teeth 
or Molares. Altogether they are 
twelve in number, being three on 
each side of both upper and lower 
jaw: the last of them are called 
Wisdom Teeth in man, from the 
fact that they do not appear until 
he is supposed to have attained 
years of discretion, namely, from 
the eighteenth to the thirtieth 
years of his age. Next to these, 
on each side of both jaws, are two 
teeth whose surfaces are less broad, and which, having two sharp 
projections on each, are termed Bicuspids (two-pointed) (b). The 
sixth tooth on each side is the Eye Tooth (c) ; it has but one point 
or projection, hence these teeth have been called Cuspidata (pointed). 
From its large development in dogs, this has been called the Canine 
Tooth. Between these last on each side, coming in front of the 
mouth, we have four teeth which have neither the broad surface of 
the grinders, nor the point of the cuspidata; but they are flat, hav- 
ing a sharp edge like a knife ; hence they have been called Incisors, 
or Cutting Teeth (d). 




The Teeth and their Nerves. 




THE FACE: ANATOMY AND FUNCTIONS. 137 

The following illustration (Fig. 40) exhibits more clearly than the 
foregoing, the peculiar form of the Molar es, Bicuspids, and Cuspids, 
with their fangs or roots : — 

These three sorts of teeth, which we may 
call grinders, tearers, and cutters, repre- 
sent three classes of teeth among the lower 
animals; that man has them all we may 
take as an evidence that he is intended to 
be an omnivorous feeder. 

Although the teeth form so prominent 
and distinguishing a feature of all the full-grown individuals of the 
higher forms of animals, yet most of these animals, including man, 
are born without any teeth at all. When the child is born, the jaw 
is covered with gums, but underneath the gums are little cavities in 
which the teeth are formed ; and, as they go on growing, they at 
last press upon the gum, and causing it to absorb, finally break 
through it. This process is called dentition. It is frequently a 
source of disordered health to children, especially if anything occurs 
to prevent the absorption and ready yielding of the gum to the 
pressure of the tooth below. The absence of teeth during the 
period of human infancy evidently indicates that the food required 
at that period does not need their employment. It is a well-known 
fact that the food of the infant is its mother's milk; but it is too 
often forgotten that, till teeth are developed, Nature does not intend 
the child to take food that requires preparation by teeth in order to 
its digestion. The practice of feeding young children with solid 
food is the cause of great destruction of life ; and even sops should 
only be sparingly administered, in cases of necessity, till the first 
teeth have appeared. 

From what we have before said, it will be seen that in the adult 
man there are thirty-two teeth ; but if we examine the jaw of a child 
after it has "cut" all its teeth, and before it is six years old, we shall 
find that it has but twenty. Nor are these teeth increased in num- 
ber by the addition of others ; but whilst this first set of teeth are 
performing their duties, an entirely new set is growing underneath 
them, in precisely the same way as they did at first. Gradually the 
fangs of the first set of teeth are absorbed, in consequence of the 
pressure of those beneath, and they fall out, or are easily removed, 
and make way for the others. The order in which the teeth appear, 



138 OUK FAMILY DOCTOE. 

as well as the time, is subject to considerable deviations, but the 
following periods will be found to be about the time : — 

FIEST, OR MILK TEETH. 

2 lower middle incisors, 4th to 8th month. 

2 upper middle incisors, 4th to 8th month. 

4 lateral incisors, 4th to 1 1 th month. 

4 anterior, or first molars, 12th to 18th month. 

4 eye, or canine teeth, 1 6th to 22d month. 

4 back molars, 19th to 38th month. 

20 

In some children the whole of the teeth may be cut by the end 
of the third year, whilst in others, the process of dentition may be 
prolonged to the fifth year. 

ORDER OF APPEARANCE OF THE PERMANENT TEETH. 

4 first molars, one on each of the two sides of the 

two jaws, 6th to 7th year. 

4 middle incisors, two in each jaw, 7th to 8th year. 

4 lateral incisors, a little later than the last, 7th to 8th year. 

4 first bicuspids, 8th to 9th year. 

4 last bicuspids, 10th to 12th year. 

4 eye, or canine teeth, 11th to 13th year. 

4 second molars, 1 2th to 1 4th year. 

4 back molars, or wisdom teeth, 18th to 30th year. 

32 

The internal structure of the teeth is yery complicated. The 
minute structure is found to be no less indicative of the species of 
animal to which it belongs, than the whole tooth itself ; so that with 
regard to the teeth we may say, that a morsel so small as not to be 
distinguished with the naked eye, should yet enable the skillful 
anatomist to judge of the form of the whole tooth, and thence to 
infer the particular kind of animal to which it belonged. We cannot 
go into details of the dental structure of the lower animals, but all 
that possess true teeth exhibit the same facts as we find in man. 
If we make a vertical section of a tooth with a fine saw, and after 
having polished it on a hard and smooth whetstone, submit it to an 
examination under the microscope, we shall easily make out the 



THE TEETH: ANATOMY AND FUNCTIONS. 



139 



parts indicated in the cut. We shall discover that there are three 
very distinct portions. First, the enamel (in cut a), which covers 
the whole of the external part of the tooth ; second, the dentine (b), — 
this substance, which is so largely developed in Fig. 41. 

the tusks of the elephant and other pachyderma- 
tous animals, constitutes ivory; third, the ce- 
ment (c) or bone, forming the external covering 
or facing of the tooth. In the middle of the 
tooth (cl) is the pulp cavity. Into this cavity the 
nerves and blood-vessels of the tooth penetrate, 
and thus serve to maintain the living connection 
between the tooth and the rest of the body. The 
distribution of the nerve in this cavity will serve 
to explain how it is that by the removal of a de- 
cayed part, and stopping it with some kind of 
cement, that access to the air is prevented, and 
the danger of further decay removed. 

Each hard part of the tooth is differently 
formed. The enamel is by far the hardest of 
these structures, and is composed of dense semi- 
transparent fibres, placed side by side, and so 
small that they do not measure more than the 
five-thousandth part of an inch in diameter. 
These little fibres penetrate the dentine beneath, 
is composed of two parts, namely, a number of very minute tubes 
anastomosing with each other, and an intertubular tissue. The 
tubes commence in the pulp-cavity, and pass on to the outside of 
the tooth. The intertubular substance is composed of very minute 
white granules or globules. The cement which covers the outside 
of the fang has a structure precisely like that of ordinary bone. 

The teeth are inserted in — or rather, developed out of — the upper 
and lower jaws. The upper jaw is fixed, but the lower jaw has two 
round projections, which are inserted into cavities in the skull, in 
which they move with great facility. This movement is different in 
different animals. In those creatures which feed upon vegetable 
fibre, as it exists in the leaves and branches of plants, the jaw ad- 
mits of a lateral motion, and the trituration and reduction of this 
kind of food is thus insured. On the other hand, in animals which 
partake of food that requires no bruising before it is carried into 
the stomach, this lateral movement would be of no use ; hence, in 




Vertical Section 
of a Tooth. 

This substance 



no 



OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 



Fig. 42. 



the carnivora we find this action of the jaw confined to a simple 
up-and-down movement, by which the food is merely divided or cut 
into smaller pieces. "When we examine the jaw of the human being, 
we find that it has a combination of these two movements, — that it 
combines the rotatory action of the ruminant with the up-and-down 
movement of the carnivora. 

In the structure of the jaws and teeth of man, we find a clear in- 
dication that he is adapted for taking food from both the vegetable 
and the animal kingdom, seeing that in the organs which prepare 

the food for digestion, we find instruments 
adapted for the preparation of both forms 
of diet. It is evident that the teeth of men 
are only adapted for dividing and triturating 
flesh and vegetables; and the delicacy of 
their structure would seem to indicate that 
even these forms of food should be cooked. 
They neither possess the sharpness and 
strength of those of the lion, nor the broad 
surface of those of the ox or the elephant. 
The attempt to masticate hard substances — 
to crack nuts, or in any manner to strain 
the strength of the teeth and jaws — is inju- 
rious; and many persons have to regret all 
their lives foolish practices of this kind. 

The Tongue. — The tongue is composed of 
muscular fibres, which are distributed in 
layers arranged in various directions. Be- 
tween these fibres is a considerable quantity 
of adipose substance, and in the middle is 
a vertical septum of fibrous tissue. The 
tongue is connected behind with the os 
hyoides by muscular attachment, and to the 
epiglottis by the mucous membrane, which 
forms the three glosso-epiglottis folds called 
Frsena Epiglottidis. At either side it is held 
in connection with the lower jaw by the 
mucous membrane; and in front a fold of 
that membrane, which is named Froenum 
Linguae, is formed beneath its under surface. 
The tongue is covered by a dense layer, 




The Tongue. 

1, the raphe, which some- 
times divides in two branches 
as in the figure ; 2, 2, the lobes, 
the rounded eminences here 
and near the top being the 
papillce fungiformes, — the 
smaller ones among which 
they are dispersed being the 
papillce conicece and filiformis; 
3, tip of the tongue; 4, 4, its 
sides, on which are seen the 
lamellated and fringed papil- 
lae ; 5, 5, the A-shaped row of 
papillce circumvallata ; 6, the 
foramen coecum; 7, mucous 
glands at the root of the 
tongue; 8, epiglottis with its 
frcena (9, 9) ; 10, 10, the greater 
cornua of the os hyoides. 



THE TONGUE: ANATOMY AND FUNCTIONS. 141 

analogous to the corium of the skin, which gives support to the 
Papillae. A Raphe marks the middle line of the tongue, and divides 
it into symmetrical halves. 

The tongue, like the whole of the internal passages of the body, 
is covered with mucous membrane. This membrane, when exam- 
ined, is found to be a continuation of the skin which covers the ex- 
ternal surface of the body, and, like it, is composed of two principal 
parts, — a layer of fibres and vessels, covered above with cells. It is 
the condition of these superficial cells that constitutes the difference 
between the skin and mucous membrane. The first are always dry 
and hard, whilst the latter are soft, and covered with a fluid secre- 
tion, called mucus. This membrane covers the whole surface of the 
tongue, and is prolonged below, passing on either side of a mass of 
tissue under the tongue, which is called the Frsenum, or string of 
the tongue. It is this part of the tongue which, being prolonged 
to an unusual extent along the floor of the mouth, constitutes the 
condition which is called "tongue-tied." It is very seldom indeed 
that this affection exists to an extent to require interference ; but it 
is very often imagined to be present by officious nurses and anxious 
mothers, when the structure of the tongue is perfectly natural. It 
is to be feared, too, that the simplicity of the process of cutting the 
frsenum has sometimes induced surgeons to perform this operation 
when there was no necessity. It should, however, be known that 
occasionally so large a blood vessel may be wounded in this pro- 
ceeding as to produce alarming consequences on the system of a 
new-born babe. 

Under the mucous membrane, and causing projections on its sur- 
face, lie the Papillae of the tongue. These papillae vary in size, but 
are very obvious to the naked eye when the tongue is put out. On 
examining them with the microscope, they are found to consist of 
blood-vessels and nerves. The nerves which are sent to these little 
papillae are not supplied from the same nerves which are furnished 
to the muscles in order to give them the power of movement, but 
from a special source; and the branch of the nerve which is thus 
supplied is called the gustatory, on account of its being the part of 
the nervous system which gives the special sense of taste. Through 
this organization, then, the tongue is not only enabled to assist in 
mastication, but it becomes the principal source of enjoyment in the 
taking of food that is agreeable to the taste. 

The mucous membrane, as well as the form of the tongue, are 



142 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

liable to considerable changes in appearance, indicative of disordered 
states of the system. It is on this account that the tongue is so 
constantly examined by the medical man in diseases of the body. 
Its form and movements will often indicate the general state of the 
nervous and muscular systems ; whilst the appearance of the surface 
is an index to the condition of the mucous membranes throughout 
the whole body. Dryness, redness, smoothness, and the amount of 
w r hite secretion on its surface, are all points from which important 
conclusions can be drawn, both with regard to the nature and treat- 
ment of disease. 

The Gums are the cellular and mucous membranes which cover 
the alveolar processes of the jaw before the growth of the teeth, the 
fangs of which they afterwards envelope. 

DISEASES OF THE FACE, LIPS, MOUTH, JAWS, TEETH, 

AND GUMS. 

The face is subjected to several affections, as face-ache and erup 
tions, but we have referred to these under the head of " Skin Dis- 
eases;" and also under the head of "Neuralgia" and "Erysipelas," 
these painful diseases are fully treated. 

CHAPPED OR CRACKED LIPS. 

The lips are often chapped and cracked by exposure to cold, and 
it is sometimes a difficult matter to heal them. The following is a 
good form for lip-salve to be used in such a case : — 

White "Wax, 2j ounces. 

Spermaceti, ^ ounce. 

Almond Oil, 3 ounces. 

Melt together, stir well, and put by to cool : apply to the lips on 
going to bed at night. It may be made of a pretty pink color by 
tinting the oil first with a small piece of alkanet-root, which should 
be taken out before the other ingredients are introduced. When 
the lips heat and burn much, a little cold cream will be found a 
pleasant and serviceable application. 

CANKER OF THE MOUTH. 

This is a gangrenous inflammation which chiefly affects the cheeks 
and gums of children of a weakly scrofulous habit, with constitu- 






DISEASES OF THE MOUTH. 143 

tions debilitated by want of wholesome food, impure air, and all the 
bad influences of poverty and wretchedness, which surround so 
many of the poorer classes. 

Causes. — Canker may be produced by the contact of copper or 
brass with the inside of the mouth. It is very often attributed to 
mercury, but this can only, when given in large doses, contribute 
to its development. Its most frequent cause is weakness and de- 
bility, combined with a scrofulous or diseased body. Very frequently 
the disease shows itself soon after measles, scarlet fever, or other 
acute inflammatory affections. 

Symptoms. — Its first symptom is usually a hard red. spot on the 
cheek, which spreads and opens into a shallow ulcer on tke inside, 
discharging matter of a peculiarly offensive character. As the dis- 
ease progresses, the cheek swells, the breath becomes foetid, there 
is a great flow of saliva, which is often tinged with blood ; there is 
mortification of the surrounding parts, including the gums; the 
teeth drop out, typhoid symptoms show themselves, and, finally, the 
patient sinks exhausted, death coming like a happy release from its 
sufferings. This is the usual course, if early efforts are not made 
to arrest the progress of the disease. 

Treatment. — As soon as the red spot in the cheek gives warning 
of its commencement, the constitution should be strengthened with 
good nourishing diet, such as beef tea, milk, and eggs, if the stomach 
will bear them; wine, if there is extreme debility, and no great 
amount of fever ; quinine, in half-grain doses three times a day, in 
infusion of gentian, or decoction of bark, may be given, or some 
preparation of iron with a warm stomachic, as the following : — 

Wine of Iron, 2 drachms. 

Compound Tincture of Cardamums or of Valerian, 2 drachms. 

Made up to eight ounces with cinnamon or mint water ; one or two 
tablespoonfuls twice or thrice a day. Change of air, sea bathing, 
and anything which is likely to invigorate the constitution should 
also be tried. Chlorate of potash, 1 drachm, with twenty drops of 
muriatic acid, in six ounces of water, sweetened with a little syrup 
of orange-peel, is a pleasant and serviceable mixture. It may be 
given to a child six years of age, a tablespoonful every four hours. 
For local treatment, lunar caustic, or sulphate of copper, rubbed 
along the edges of the wound, are recommended. The mouth should 
be frequently washed with a lotion made of chloride of soda and 



144 OUB FAMILY DOCTOR. 

water, in the proportion of two drachms of the former to half a pint 
of the latter ; or it may be, one drachm of chloric ether to the same 
quantity. By this means the unpleasant fcetor is diminished so as 
to be endurable. "When extensive ulceration and sloughing takes 
place outwardly, poultices must be applied. 

OFFENSIVE BREATH. 

Foetid breath may proceed from decayed teeth, or morbid secre- 
tions about the tonsils, or disease of the lungs. In children it 
generally indicates a disordered state of the stomach, which may be 
corrected by means of purgative medicines. Where it cannot be so 
remedied, it will be well for the patient to chew a little cinnamon 
occasionally, or take half a tumbler of camomile tea on rising in the 
morning. If the cause is local, the mouth should be washed with a 
weak solution of chloride of lime, or soda. 

SORE MOUTH. 

Some persons are much troubled with small ulcerations of the 
mouth, which give great inconvenience. They are seen on the 
edges of the tongue, the gums, and the inside of the lips or cheek. 
They are small, irregular, superficial, often numerous, very painful, 
sometimes surrounded with many enlarged vessels and a small ring 
of bright red hue. They often prove obstinate, because they are 
caused by a bad condition of the bowels. 

Treatment. — Take of honey two tablespoonfuls ; borax, powdered, 
half drachm ; mix well together, and take a teaspoonful twice a day. 
The mixture should be placed in the mouth, little by little, touching 
the various ulcers that are visible, or can be got at. 

INFLAMMATION OF THE TONGUE (Glossitis). 

Causes. — Mechanical injury, exposure to cold, the use of mer- 
cury, &c. 

Symptoms. — The tongue becomes greatly swollen, and is painful 
to the touch ; respiration and deglutition are much interfered with, 
and one of the chief dangers of the attack is suffocation. 

Treatment. — In mild cases, ice and the use of purgatives will 
afford relief; but, in the more severe forms, leeches will have to be 
applied to the part, or the knife may have to be used, and pretty 
deep incisions to be made into the inflamed part, which will afford 
almost instantaneous relief. 



DISEASES OF THE TEETH. 145 

TOOTH-ACHE. 

For this distressing and very common malady almost every one 
has a " sure cure," the peculiarity of which is, that it does little or 
nothing to mitigate the anguish of the sufferer to whom it is recom- 
mended. Among the remedies which we have to suggest, as having 
found them pretty generally successful, are, creosote, chloroform, 
and laudanum. Separately or in combination, they may be tried all 
ways. The mode of application is to saturate a small piece of lint 
or wadding, and introduce it into the hollow of the tooth, keeping 
it there as long as may be necessary. Should there be no available 
hollow, put it as close as possible to the seat of pain. Many of the 
other remedies recommended we have known to afford relief occa- 
sionally; such as inhaling the vapor from henbane seeds, put on a 
hot piece of metal ; chewing a piece of pellitory-root, or using the 
tincture ; putting a piece of sal prunella in the mouth and allowing 
it to dissolve ; applying a drop or two of the oil of cloves, or cinna- 
mon, on lint ; or thrusting into the hollow tooth a piece of wire pre- 
viously dipped in strong nitric acid, — this application, if properly 
made, destroys the nerve, but it must be very carefully done, so that 
the acid does not touch the other teeth or the mouth. An aching 
tooth may oftentimes be stopped, and remain serviceable for years ; 
but this must not be done while the nerve is in an inflamed state, as 
in this case the pressure will but increase the anguish. Where a 
tooth* is so far gone as to be very troublesome, it is best to have 
it out. 

LOOSE TEETH. 

The teeth may become loosened by external violence, or by the 
improper use of instruments when extracting diseased teeth in the 
neighborhood of sound ones. 

Treatment. — Press them as firmly as possible into their sockets, 
and keep them so with ligatures of catgut, Indian weed, or waxed 
silk, the patient for the time being living on spoon food. When 
teeth become loose owing to an accumulation of tartar, no good can 
be effected until this is removed, and it ought to be done early, 
otherwise it will have no effect. Looseness of the teeth is frequently 
occasioned by a sponginess of the gums. To remedy this, scarify 
the gums deeply, and allow them to bleed freely, repeating the 
operation till the teeth become partially fastened. Afterwards wash 
the mouth frequently with water strongly impregnated with tincture 



146 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

of bark, and employ the teeth sparingly until the loosened teeth 
become perfectly firm again. Or the following mixture : — Borax, 
alum, bay salt, of each one drachm ; spirit of camphor, tincture of 
myrrh, of each one ounce ; spirit of horseradish, four ounces ; tinc- 
ture of rhatany, two ounces. Mix, and shake occasionally for a day 
or two, then filter. Rinse the mouth occasionally with a teaspoonful 
in a wineglassful of water. 

CARE OF THE TEETH. 

The teeth should be kept clean. There are two sources of impu- 
rity to the teeth. The first is from a deposit of tartar upon them 
near the gum ; and the second is from portions of food adhering to 
them after meals. The accumulation of tartar is a frequent source 
of disease in the teeth and gums, and precautions should be taken 
to prevent its adherence to them. The best plan is that of cleaning 
them with the brush night and morning. All chemical products 
should be avoided. Anything which acts chemically upon the teeth 
will open the way to speedy decay. The simplest dentifrice, and 
one of the best, is a mixture of prepared chalk and well-powdered 
camphor. The chalk acts as a scouring material, whilst the camphor 
stimulates the gums, and counteracts the decomposition of any 
small particles of food that may lurk amongst the teeth. The purer 
the water that is employed for washing the teeth the better. 

To cleanse away portions of food adhering to the teeth, the tooth- 
pick should be used. Metallic toothpicks are objectionable, — those 
made of bone or quills are to be preferred. 

When teeth are found to be decayed, immediate attention should 
be paid to them. They more frequently indicate serious derange- 
ment of the health than is imagined. "Where teeth are already de- 
cayed, they can not be restored to their pristine integrity, but the 
decayed part may be removed, or the whole tooth may be extracted. 
The sooner this is done the better; for decay has an undoubted 
tendency tu spread, and nothing is so disagreeable to other people 
as the breath of a person tainted with the faint odor of decomposing 
teeth. Decay of the teeth frequently comes on from long-continued 
indigestion, from exposure to cold, from a scrofulous habit of body, 
from eating and drinking very hot or very cold articles of diet. 
Now, in all diseases, prevention is better than cure. Persons should 
take care to avoid those states of the system, and those causes 
which are known to produce decayed teeth. 



DISEASES OF THE MOUTH. 147 

GUM-BOIL. 

This sometimes arises from exposure to cold, but is caused in the 
majority of cases by the irritation of a decayed tooth. 

Treatment. — Inflammation of the gum generally goes on to sup- 
puration, to promote which, warm fomentations and poultices may 
be applied externally. As soon as the matter is formed the abscess 
may be cut or lanced. Afterwards the mouth should be washed 
occasionally with an astringent lotion composed of tincture of galls 
and water, or of twenty or twenty-five grains of sulphate of zinc, 
dissolved in half a pint of rose-water. 

SORE TONGUE. 

The tongue is liable to become sore or ulcerated, most commonly 
along the edges; and there are frequently seen small pimples and 
cracks. 

Treatment. — Take mild and cooling aperients, particularly cal- 
cined magnesia, either alone or in a seidlitz powder. Let the drink 
consist chiefly of soda-water, and the diet be light and cooling. 
Touch the sores with burnt alum, and wash the mouth frequently 
with borax and honey dissolved in water, or solution of chloromated 
soda and water, so weak as not to produce much smarting. 

STAMMERING. 

This defect of speech sometimes proceeds from functional disorder, 
sometimes from nervousness, sometimes the result of irritation. 
From whatever cause it originates, it is in the majority of cases to 
be cured by an exertion of the will. 

Treatment. — Stammerers, although they cannot speak a single 
sentence without hesitation, can sing a song of many verses as 
fluently as any person ; and it is almost as true that stammerers can 
read with equal ease. It is therefore to be recommended that those 
who stammer should begin with a set of exercises of commonplace 
sentences, chant to the first bars of the simplest melody, such as 
" My Country," and from that, practise those sentences upon one 
note, ending a note lower or higher, slowly at first, but gradually 
increased to rapidity. 



148 



OUK FAMILY DOCTOK. 



THE THROAT. 



ANATOMY AND FUNCTIONS. 




Vertical Section of the Head, showing the relation of air and food passages. 

1, upper turbinated bone ; 2, middle turbinated bone ; 3, lower turbinated bone ; 4, bole lead- 
ing to the canal which drains the eye; 5, Eustachian hole; 6, palate; 7, uvula; 8, epiglottis; 
9, pharynx; 10, larynx; 11, cricoid cartilage; 12, thyroid cartilage; 13, cavity of the mouth. 






THE THROAT: ANATOMY AND FUNCTIONS. 



149 



The Throat, as popularly understood, is of somewhat indefinite 
meaning ; for few can tell where the throat begins and ends, or what 
organs it includes. It is generally understood to mean that part of 
the human frame in which are the passages for food and breath, 
namely, the gullet and windpipe, or all that hollow cavity which 
may be looked into when the mouth is wide open. 

Fig. U. 




The Pharynx laid open from behind. 

a, tongue ; b, palate ; d, e, front and back of the palate ; /, walls of the pharynx ; g, posterior 
nares, separated by the vomer ; h, epiglottis; i, head of windpipe ; k, oesophagus ; I, windpipe; 
m, under jaw. 

The Trachea is the cartilaginous and membranous canal through 
which the air passes into the lungs, commonly known as the wind- 
pipe. Its upper part is called the larynx, the uppermost and small- 
est part of which is called the epiglottis, being placed over the 
glottis, or mouth of the larynx, and serving to close the passage to 
the lungs in the act of swallowing. From the lower end of the 



150 



OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 



Fig. 45. 



larynx the canal takes the name of trachea, and extends as far down 
as the fourth or fifth vertebra of the back, where it divides into two 
branches, which are the right and left bronchial tubes. Like the 
larynx it is formed of cartilages, united to each other by means 

of very elastic ligamentous fibres. 
It is also furnished with fleshy or 
muscular fibres, some of which 
pass through its whole extent lon- 
gitudinally, while others are car- 
ried round it in a circular direc- 
tion ; and hence it may shorten or 
lengthen itself, or contract or di- 
late its passage. 

Larynx is the name given to 
the organ of the voice, situated at 
the upper and fore part of the 
neck, where it forms a considerable 
projection. It extends from the 
base of the tongue to the trachea ; 
is narrow and cylindrical below, but broad above, where it presents 
the form of a triangular box, being flattened behind and at the sides, 
whilst in front it is bounded by a prominent vertical ridge. It is 
composed of cartilages connected together by ligaments, moved by 

Fig. 47. 




Interior of the Month. 





Back "View of the Cartilages and Lig* 
ments of the Larynx. 

a, ligament of the tongue ; b, epiglottis ; 
c, the lateral ligaments connecting the os 
hyoides and the thyoid cartilage ; d, cricoid 
cartilage; e, arytenoid cartilages; g, the 
windpipe. 



Side View of the Larynx. 

a, ligaments of the tongue, with the epi- 
glottis at the hack; b, thyroid cartilage; 
c, cricoid cartilage ; /, g, the vocal cords. 



THE THEOAT: ANATOMY AND FUNCTIONS. 



151 



numerous muscles, is lined by the mucous membrane, and supplied 
with vessels and nerves. The cartilages of the larynx are nine in 
number, three single and three in pairs, namely, the thyroid, cricoid, 
Fig. 48. Fig. 49. 




Back View of the Head of the Pharynx, 
(Esophagus, and Trachea. 

c, the skull; b, cerebellum; c, cephalic 
artery ; d, nasal organs ; e, vomer ; /, uvula ; 
g, tongue; h, parotid glands; i, epiglottis; 
Jc, larynx; I, head of the pharynx; m, oeso- 
phagus ; n, trachea ; p, left branch ; q, right 
branch of the trachea ; r, large artery ; s, the 
heart; u, lower vena cava; v, the lungs. 




Mouth of the Windpipe. 

a, glottis ; b, c, d, the vocal cords. 

Fig. 50. 




Transverse Section of the Neck. 

1, vertebrae, or joints of the great spinal 
column ; 2, the oesophagus, or gullet, some- 
what flattened, as in a state of rest; 3, the 
windpipe; 4, 4, the carotid arteries; 5, 5, the 
internal jugular veins. These, with the 
nerves, glands, the external jugular veins, 
and nvuscles of the neck, are enclosed within 
the skin marked by the double line and 
figures 6, 6; in front of the windpipe lies 
the thyroid gland, 7. 



epiglottis, the two arytenoid, the two cornicula laryngis, and the 
two cuneiform. The upper opening of the larynx is termed the 
glottis. The vocal ligaments are two narrow bands of dense fibrous 



152 OUE FAMILY DOCTOE. 

and highly elastic tissue, stretched between the anterior angle of 
the thyroid and the anterior surface of the arytenoid cartilages. 

The (Esophagus is the gullet, or the membranous tube leading 
from the pharynx to the stomach, and forming the passage through 
which the food descends into the latter organ. It commences at 
the cricoid cartilage, opposite the fifth cervical vertebra, and, de- 
scending along the front of the spine, passes through the diaphragm 
opposite the ninth dorsal vertebra, and there ends by opening into 
the cardiac orifice of the stomach. Its length is about nine inches, 
and its direction nearly straight, having only two or three slight 
curvatures. Its walls are composed of three coats, — an external or 
muscular, a middle or areolar, and an internal or mucous coat. In 
the neck, the oesophagus lies immediately behind the trachea. 

The Pharynx is the muscular funnel-shaped bag at the back part 
of the mouth, which receives the masticated food, and conveys it to 
the oesophagus. It is broadest about the middle, being constricted 
at either end, more particularly below, where it terminates in the 
oesophagus. 

The Tonsils are the round or oval-shaped glands situated between 
the arches of the palate. They secrete a mucous fluid, the use of 
which does not seem quite clear. In their natural state they can 
easily be discerned slightly projecting on each side of the fauces; 
but when swollen and inflamed, as they often are in weakly and 
scrofulous persons, they are very noticeable, being bright red, and 
often hanging down so as nearly to close the passage of the gullet, 
and render swallowing very difficult. 

DISEASES OF THE THKOAT AND WINDPIPE. 

BRONCHITIS. 

Bronchitis may be succinctly described as inflammation of the 
lining membrane of the passages of the throat, through which the 
work of respiration is carried on. It will be evident that an inflamed 
state of these passages must, besides the local irritation caused 
thereby, seriously interfere with the vital functions. Bronchitis is 
either acute or chronic. 

Causes. — The exciting causes are nearly always exposure to cold 
and moist air, against which, in this variable climate, people cannot 
too sedulously guard. Inhaling irritating substances or vapors will 
also cause it. 



DISEASES OF THE THKOAT. 153 

Symptoms. — The acute stage may commence immediately after ex- 
posure to cold. Most usually the lining membrane of the eyelids, 
nostrils, and throat are first affected, and then the inflammation ex- 
tends downwards into the chest. The earlier symptoms are running 
at the nose, watering of the eyes, frequent sneezing, and all the dis- 
tressing symptoms of what is generally known as Influenza. The 
fever generally runs high ; there is extreme lassitude, with headache, 
and probably a troublesome cough, with expectoration of mucus. 
With adults this, the most active stage of the disease, frequently 
assumes a very dangerous character, and prompt measures are re- 
quired to arrest its progress. If the febrile symptoms continue to 
increase in intensity, and the breathing becomes difficult from the 
clogging of the tubes with mucus, there is great reason for appre- 
hension. 

Treatment. — The patient should, as a matter of course, be con- 
fined to bed; warm diluent drinks, such as flaxseed-tea, or barley 
water, with a slice or two of lemon in it; gentle aperients, if re- 
quired; foot-baths, and hot bran-poultices to the chest. The chief 
dependence, however, is to be placed upon nauseating medicines. 
Four grains of ipecacuanha powder, in a little warm water every 
quarter of an hour, until vomiting is produced, and should be kept 
up at intervals of two or three hours. Sometimes a state of coma 
or collapse follows this treatment, and then it is necessary to give 
stimulants : carbonate of ammonia in five-grain doses, or sal volatile, 
half a teaspoonful about every hour. These are preferable to alco- 
holic stimulants ; but should they not succeed, brandy may be tried, 
with strong beef-tea. Should the urgency of the symptoms yield to 
the emetics, a milder treatment may be followed out. The following 
is a good mixture : — ■ 

Ipecacuanha Wine, 1 drachm. 

Aromatic Spirit of Ammonia, 2 drachms. 

Carbonate of Potash, 1 drachm. 

Water, 8 ounces. 

Two tablespoonfuls to be given every four hours. If the cough 
is troublesome, add a grain of acetate of morphine. The diet should 
be light and nourishing, and all exposure to cold must be carefully 
avoided. In children, acute bronchitis does not commonly produce 
such marked effects as in adults, although sometimes it is extremely 
rapid and fatal, allowing little time for the action of remedies, which 



154 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

should be much the same as those above recommended, with proper 
regard, of course, to difference of age. If the child is unweaned, it 
must be allowed to suck very sparingly, if at all. The best plan is 
to give it milk from a spoon, or feeding-bottle, as the quantity can 
be thus better regulated. Great attention must be paid to the 
bowels, and also to the temperature of the air breathed by the little 
sufferer. A blister on the chest, about as big as a large copper 
cent, may be sometimes applied with advantage if the hot bran does 
not give the desired relief. 

Winter coughs, catarrh, and asthma are very commonly but forms 
of chronic bronchitis. For the troublesome coughs which almost 
invariably attends confirmed bronchitis, and especially in the aged, 
opium is the most effectual remedy. The best form of administra- 
tion is perhaps the compound tincture of camphor taken with 
ipecacuanha or antimonial wine, — say half a drachm of the former, 
with ten grains of either of the latter, in a little sugar and water or 
flaxseed-tea. If there are febrile symptoms, add fifteen minims of 
sweet spirits of nitre to each dose. 

It is especially during the spring months, and when there is a 
prevalence of east wind, that bronchitis attacks young and old, often 
hurrying the former to a premature grave, and making the down- 
ward course of the latter more quick and painful. With aged 
people, in such cases, there is commonly a great accumulation of 
mucus in the bronchial tubes, which causes continued and violent 
coughing in the efforts to expel it, which efforts are often unsuc- 
cessful. Thus the respiration is impeded ; the blood, for want of 
proper oxygenization, becomes unfit for the purposes of vitality, and 
death, often unexpectedly sudden, is the consequence. Such bron- 
chitic patients must be carefully treated, — no lowering measures 
will do for them, but warm and generous diet ; opium cannot safely 
be ventured on. Warm flannel next the skin, a genial atmosphere, 
inhalation of steam, — if medicated with horehound, or some demul- 
cent plants, so much the better, — a couple of compound squill pills 
at night, and during the day a mixture, composed of camphor mix- 
ture, six ounces ; tincture of squills, wine of ipecacuanha, and aro- 
matic spirits of ammonia, each two drachms; with perhaps two 
drachms of tincture of hops. Take a tablespoonful every three or 
four hours. 

DIPHTHERIA. 

Diphtheria is a very malignant and fatal disease of the throat, 



DISEASES OF THE THKOAT. 155 

which was first specially observed and described by M. Bretonneau, 
of Tours, in France, where it prevailed as an epidemic in 1818, 
though it doubtless has existed in the world from the earliest 
times. 

Symptoms. — It is characterized by a peculiar inflammation of the 
mucous membrane of the throat, or pharynx, accompanied by the 
production of a false membrane. At first this membrane appears in 
the form of a white spot on the pharynx or tonsils, from which it 
gradually extends forwards to the soft palate and into the nostrils, 
and backwards into the oesophagus, sometimes into the larynx, but 
seldom into the trachea, producing at length suffocation. It is 
usually accompanied by a foetid discharge from the nose and mouth, 
and haemorrhage frequently occurs. There is usually, also, a low 
and dangerous form of fever, with great depression of spirits and 
rapid decrease of the patient's strength, which is still further accele- 
rated by his inability to take food. There is no form of the disease, 
however mild to appearance, that is not attended with danger, and 
it is sometimes fatal in thirty-six hours, but more frequently in from 
three to twelve days. 

Treatment. — Medical men are by no means agreed as to the mode 
of treatment to be followed. It is generally agreed, however, that 
everything is to be done to support the strength of the patient, by 
stimulants, nutrients, and restoratives. On its first appearance, 
wine or brandy, in frequent doses according to the strength of the 
patient, should be given, with beef tea, eggs, &c. Quinine or iron 
is also recommended. Poultices or warm fomentations applied ex- 
ternally, and the inhalation of the vapor of hot water and vinegar, 
will afford some relief. The patient should be confined to bed, and 
the temperature should be about 68° Fahr., and kept constantly 
moist with steam from a boiling kettle. Opiates are frequently 
necessary to be given in order to procure sleep, and ice kept dis- 
solving in the mouth is often a great comfort. Afterwards good 
nourishing food, change of air, and tonics, are necessary to complete 
recovery. There can be little doubt that this disease is owing, in 
some measure, to the neglect of sanitary measures ; and it is gene- 
rally believed to be both epidemic and contagious, though some 
medical men deny these statements. 

ENLARGEMENT OR SWELLING- OF THE UVULA. 

The pendulous body which hangs down from the middle of the 
soft palate is subject to several kinds of enlargement, in which it 



156 OUR FAMILY DOCTOE. 

becomes both longer and more bulky than natural, or is simply 
elongated. Under these diseased conditions, it becomes trouble- 
some in deglutition, as well as in speaking. It causes a disagreeable 
tickling at the root of the tongue, with an inclination to retch, and 
an irritating and annoying cough. "When things have reached this 
pass, medicines are often of no avail, and the only resource is to 
remove a portion of the uvula, which must be done by a surgeon. 
Before, however, excision is resorted to, and indeed before the uvula 
increases so much as to render this necessary, astringent gargles 
and applications should be tried, such as the following : — White oak 
bark, one ounce ; water, one pint ; boil till reduced one quarter, then 
add alum, one scruple. Apply to the parts several times a day with 
a soft sponge. 

HOARSENESS. 

A disease of the air-passages. 

Causes. — From colds, or breathing a damp or dusty atmosphere, 
or through exhaustion from protracted speaking, singing, &c. 

Treatment. — Put into a teapot one part of pyroligneous acid to 
six parts of boiling water ; introduce the spout of the teapot into 
the mouth, and inhale the vapor. Or, mix one teaspoonful of sweet 
spirit of nitre in a wineglassful of water. Take this two or three 
times a day. 

INFLAMMATION OF THE LARYNX (Laryngitis). 

Inflammation of the larynx is, more particularly, inflammation of 
the mucous membrane that covers the laryngeal cartilages, including 
the epiglottis. 

Symptoms. — This disease is characterized by a high degree of 
fever; the pulse is frequent and hard, and the patient manifests a 
considerable degree of restlessness and anxiety; he likewise com- 
plains of sore throat; and among the earliest symptoms that be- 
speak danger is difficulty of swallowing, for which no adequate cause 
is visible in the fauces ; and to this is presently added difficulty of 
breathing. The act of inspiration is protracted with wheezing, and 
the patient points to the Adam's apple as the seat of the disease. 
He speaks either hoarsely, or what is more common, all power of 
audible voice in the larynx is lost, and he speaks only by means of 
his lips and tongue, in a whisper. As the disorder advances, the 
patient's general distress increases. His countenance, from being 



DISEASES OF THE THBOAT. 157 

flushed, becomes pale or livid ; his looks anxious and ghastly ; he 
struggles for breath, and if he does not obtain timely relief, dies of 
strangulation. Its course is generally rapid, terminating fatally 
within the fifth day, and even, in some cases, within twelve hours. 

Treatment. — In the treatment of this disease, active remedies re- 
quire to be promptly had recourse to. If a blister is applied, it 
should be on the upper part of the sternum or chest, rather than on 
the front of the throat. Purgatives should also be administered, 
and warm fomentations applied to the throat. As the danger of this 
disease lies in its tendency to produce suffocation, wherever there 
is danger of this termination, tracheotomy should be had recourse 
to, and an artificial opening made, through which the operation of 
breathing may be carried on, till the parts of the larynx acquire 
their natural state. Nor should this operation be too long de- 
layed. 

INFLAMMATION OF THE TONSILS (Tonsilitis). 

"With enlarged tonsils, there is always, more or less, thickness of 
speech, and a great liability to sore throat or quinsy. Tonics and 
astringent gargles are required for such enlargement, and a long 
perseverance in the latter is necessary. The glands should be now 
and then brushed over with a solution of nitrate of silver, or rubbed 
with the stick itself; but this should be done very carefully, so as 
not to touch the surrounding parts. Should the enlargement be 
come prominent, it is best to have the tonsils cut by a surgeon ; this 
is not a dangerous nor very painful operation. In ulcerated sore 
throats, the tonsils generally become impaired, and are very painful 
and even dangerous. 

INFLAMMATION OF THE PHARYNX {Pharyngitis). 
[Clergyman's Sore Throat.~] 

This is an inflammation of the back part of the throat, as seen 
when the mouth is stretched open. There is also an inflamed con- 
dition of the vocal cords, and other portions of the larynx. 

Causes. — Over-exertion of the voice, inhaling impure air, expo- 
sure to cold winds when heated, will also produce it. 

Symptoms. — Spitting, hoarseness, coughing, sometimes loss of 
voice, difficulty of swallowing, &c. 

Treatment — Avoid the night air, and loud talking or singing in 



158 OUK FAMILY DOCTOR 

the open air when walking. Let the diet be nourishing, but abstain 
from all spicy and acid foods that irritate the mucous membrane. 
Spirituous liquors, strong beer, and other heating liquids, must be 
entirely avoided. The local treatment consists of applying solutions 
of nitrate of silver, or alum, or carbolic acid, to the diseased parts, 
by means of a sponge or brush. 

INFLUENZA. 

It has lately been very much the fashion to call any kind of cold 
which is accompanied by catarrhal symptoms, Influenza ; but this, 
in nine cases out of ten, is a misnomer. The true disease seldom 
occurs, except as an epidemic, attacking many persons at once. It 
comes on quite suddenly. 

Symptoms. — Its symptoms are those of a general fever. There is 
great prostration of strength, generally showing loss of appetite, 
heat and thirst, cough and difficulty of breathing, owing to the air 
valves and bronchial passages being clogged with mucus ; there is 
also running at the nose and eyes, weight across the brow with 
throbbing pain, and great depression of spirits. The febrile symp- 
toms do not commonly last more than four or five days, sometimes 
but one or two, but the cough generally remains for a considerable 
time, varying according to circumstances, such as exposure to cold 
or wet, predisposition to cough, &c. 

Treatment. — With the strong and healthy this is not a dangerous 
disease, but aged or weakly persons are frequently carried off by it. 
In the former case but little medical treatment is required. Keep 
the patient in bed, and let the temperature of the room be warm 
and equable ; open the bowels with a gentle aperient, such as rhu- 
barb and magnesia, or senna mixture, and follow this up with weak 
wine-whey, or some warm diluent drink, in a pint of which a grain 
of tartar emetic and a drachm of nitrate of potash has been dis- 
solved ; give a wineglassful of this about every four hours. It is not 
generally safe to practice much depletion ; but where there is great 
difficulty of breathing, and irritation of the throat, a few leeches 
may be applied just above the breast bone, in the hollow of the neck. 
Stimulating liniments may also be applied to the chest, and mustard 
poultices, but blisters are scarcely to be recommended. Hot fomen- 
tations may also be useful, and medicated inhalations, such as a 
scruple of powdered hemlock or henbane, sprinkled in the boiling 
water, from which the steam ascends into the throat. The fresh 



DISEASES OF THE THROAT. 159 

leaves of the above plants may be used, or a drachm of the tincture, 
if these cannot be procured. When the fever is subdued, if there is 
still cough and restlessness, a five-grain Dover's powder may be 
given at bedtime, or one-eighth of a grain of acetate of morphine, 
with a five-grain squill pill, for the cough if required. If there is 
great feebleness, tonics must be administered; infusion of calumba, 
cascarilla, or gentian, with carbonate of ammonia ; one ounce of the 
former with five grains of the latter, three times a day, with a mildly 
nutritious diet, — broths, arrowroot, sago, and a small quantity of 
wine. Such is an outline of the course to be pursued in most cases 
of influenza which really require medical treatment at all ; generally 
warmth, rest, and good nursing, will do all the business. Should 
the cough be very obstinate, and resist all efforts to remove it, 
change of air will generally prove effectual, and this is beneficial in 
most cases. 

MUMPS {Parotitis). 

This disease, which is a contagious epidemic, consists of inflam- 
mation of the salivary or parotid glands, which are situated on each 
side of the lower jaw. 

Symptoms. — It commences with slight febrile symptoms of a gen- 
eral character. Yery soon there is redness and swelling at the 
angle of the jaw, which gradually extends to the face and neck near 
to the glands. These sometimes become so large as to hang down 
a considerable distance, like two bags. 

Treatment. — But little medical treatment is required for this dis- 
ease when at its height. The patient, from sheer inability to move 
the jaw, must live chiefly on slops ; and it is well for him to be kept 
low, unless very delicate, in which case a little good broth or beef 
tea, should be given. If there is much pain, the throat should have 
hot fomentations applied; and, in very severe cases, two or three 
leeches. Mumps is not a dangerous disorder, unless the inflamma- 
tion should be turned inwards, in which case it will probably affect 
the brain or testicles; or, in the female, the breasts. Should the 
swellings suddenly disappear, and thereby aggravate the symptoms 
of fever, the following liniment must be applied : — 

Camphorated Spirits, 1 ounce. 

Solution of Sub-carbonate of Ammonia, 2 drachms. 

Tincture of Cantharides, £ drachm. 



160 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

Mix, and rub in until the swellings re-appear. Take also, internally, 
nitrate of potass, one drachm ; tartarised antimony, one and a half 
grain. Mix, and divide into six powders, one of which is to be taken 
every four hours. 

STIFF NECK. 

A complaint brought on by sitting or sleeping in a draught, at an 
open window, &c. 

Treatment. — Rub the neck well with hartshorn and sweet oil, two 
or three times a day ; and wear round the neck a piece of new flan- 
nel, moistened with the hartshorn and oil. 

SORE THROAT. 

This is commonly a symptom of inflammatory fever, and is often 
the result of a simple cold. Some persons are peculiarly liable to, 
it, and experience great difficulty of swallowing from relaxed uvula. 
Sometimes in sore throat there is simply inflammation of the 
mucous membrane ; and when this is the case it will probably pass 
away in a day or two, with a little careful nursing and aperient 
medicines. Should it extend into the air passages, causing cough 
and catarrhal symptoms, it becomes a more serious business, and 
medical advice should at once be sought. In the meantime, a salt- 
petre gargle should be used, or sal prunella balls, one being put 
into the mouth occasionally and allowed to dissolve. Hot bran 
poultices may also be placed about the throat, which, at a later 
stage, may be rubbed with a liniment of oil and hartshorn. 

There is an erysipelatous form of sore throat which is highly 
dangerous, and requires very active treatment. A strong gargle of 
lunar caustic must be used in this case, or the inflamed part must 
be pencilled with the caustic in the stick. If it extends to the larynx 
and air passages this frequently proves fatal. This is a distinct dis- 
ease from diphtheria. 

QUINSY. 

An inflammation of the throat, principally occupying the glands. 
This kind of inflammatory sore throat generally commences with 
cold chills, and other febrile symptoms. There is fullness, heat, 
and dryness of the throat, with a hoarse voice, difficulty of swallow- 
ing, and shooting pains towards the ear. When examined, the 



DISEASES OF THE THKOAT. 161 

throat is found of a florid red color, deeper over the tonsils, which 
are swollen and covered with mucus. As the disease progresses, 
the tonsils become more and more swollen, the swallowing becomes 
more painful and difficult, until liquids return through the nose, and 
the viscid saliva is discharged from the mouth. Very commonly 
the fever increases also, and there is acute pain of the back and 
limbs. 

Causes. — Exposure to cold, wearing damp clothes, sitting in 
wet rooms, getting wet feet, coming out suddenly of a crowded 
and heated room into the open and cold air. It may also be 
brought on by violent exertion of the voice, and by suppressed 
evacuations. 

Treatment. — "When the case is not severe, it may be treated, in 
the early stages, like catarrh ; but when it is, more active measures 
will be required. An emetic, followed by a strong purgative ; a 
blister outside the throat, and warm bran or linseed poultices ; a 
cooling regimen, with acid drinks, or pieces of rough ice put into 
the mouth and allowed to dissolve ; leeches at the side of the throat 
if it swells much; inhaling the steam of hot water through a teapot 
or an inverted funnel ; and the continuation, every four hours or so, 
of a saline aperient. These will be the proper measures to adopt. 
When the abscess has burst, and the inflammatory symptoms have 
subsided, a generous diet will be necessary, with tonic medicines. 
If the tonsils continue swollen, they should be rubbed outside twice 
a day with stimulating liniments. Turpentine and opodeldock, equal 
quantities, will be as good as any; and the throat gargled with salt 
and water, a teaspoonful of the former put into a tumbler full of the 
latter. 

When there is chronic soreness of the throat, with hoarse- 
ness and cough, there is commonly also a relaxed and elongated 
uvula, which closes the passage when the patient lies down, and 
causes a sensation of choking. In this case, a gargle made with salt 
and Cayenne pepper (about a tablespoonful of the former and a tea- 
spoonful of the latter, in a pint of boiling water) should be tried; 
the throat should be kept uncovered, and sponged with vinegar 
twice a day. If these means are unsuccessful, it may be necessary 
to have part of the uvula cut off. This must be done by a surgeon. 
Also, the application of caustic must sometimes be made when the 
throat has a granulated appearance. 



162 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

ULCERATED, OR PUTRID SORE THROAT. 

This sort of sore throat shows itself by white specks, covering 
ulcers, appearing in the throat, together with great debility, and an 
eruption on the skin. 

Causes. — Contagion (infection); from a humid state of the at- 
mosphere, it becomes epidemical, and will sometimes rage through 
families, villages, or towns ; and is also produced by similar causes 
to typhus, or malignant fevers, to which it seems akin in its 
nature. 

Symptoms. — It commences with cold shiverings, anxiety, nausea, 
and vomiting, succeeded by heat, thirst, restlessness, and debility; 
also, much oppression at the chest; the face looks flushed, the eyes 
are red, a stiffness is perceived in the neck, with a humid breathing, 
hoarseness of the voice, and soreness in the throat. After a short 
time the breath becomes offensive, the tongue is covered with a 
thick brown fur, and the inside of the lips is beset with vesicles, 
containing an acrid matter ; upon inspection of the throat, a number 
of sloughs, between a light ash and a dark brown color, are to be 
seen. From the first attack of the complaint, there is a considerable 
degree of fever, with a small irregular pulse, and the fever increases 
towards the evening. About the second or third day, large patches 
make their appearance about the face and neck, which by degrees 
become dispersed over every part of the body. As the sloughs in 
the throat spread, they generally become of a darker color, and the 
whole throat is soon covered with thick sloughs, which, when they 
fall off, discover deep-seated ulcers. 

Treatment. — The bowels should be opened with a dose of Rochelk 
salts or sulphate of magnesia. To cleanse the throat, use the fol- 
lowing gargle: — 

Honey of Roses, 1 ounce. 

Tincture of Myrrh, £ ounce. 

Vinegar, 1 ounce. 

Decoction of Barley, 10 ounces. 

Mix, and use frequently. Or the following: — 

Muriatic Acid, 1 drachm. 

Compound Tincture of Cinnamon, \ ounce. 

Tincture of Myrrh, 1 ounce. 

Decoction of Peruvian Bark, 6 ounces. 

Mix, and use frequently. Breathe the steam of hot vinegar and 
water into the throat. 



DISEASES OF THE THEOAT. 163 

The following is a good astringent draught : — 

Aromatic Confection, 1 drachm. 

Tincture of Catechu, 1 drachm. 

Laudanum, 30 drops. 

Chalk Mixture, « 2 ounces. 

Cinnamon Water, 2^ ounces. 

Mix. Take two tablespoonfuls every four hours. Shake well al- 
ways before taking. Sometimes bleeding from the mouth, nose, or 
ears, takes place in the latter stages of the disease ; and, becoming 
alarming, use the following as a wash: — 

Sulphate of Copper, l£ drachms. 

Alum, i drachm. 

Kectified Spirit of Wine, 1 ounce. 

Pure Water, 7 ounces. 

Mix, and apply internally with a tent, or on linen cloths. The 
diet must be light and nourishing — tapioca, sago, rice, and the like ; 
the drinks must be acidulated ; free air, but not cold ; the room 
sprinkled with vinegar, and generally as is laid in acute or typhus 
fever, use the following in the room, as a purifying anti-infectious 
gas:— - 

Take a pound of common salt, put it into an earthen dish, occa- 
sionally pour a tablespoonful of sulphuric acid (oil of vitriol) ; stir 
up with a stick, avoid breathing over it when the fumes are rising. 
Do this four or six times a day, whenever infectious diseases are 
raging. It is a great preventive. 

Herbal, oe Eclectic Treatment for Throat Diseases. 

For putrid sore throat, at its early stage, give an emetic, and 
follow by a cathartic if the bowels are costive. A mixture composed 
as follows has been found very beneficial : — 

Take a half pint of fresh brewers' yeast, and mix with a half pint 
of water ; add sufficient brown sugar to flavor. Dose, one teaspoon- 
ful every two hours. Good results have frequently followed a gargle 
made of yeast and milk, or of sage and vinegar. A small quantity 
may be swallowed with benefit. Or use the following : — 

Sumac Berries, 1 ounce. 

White Oak Bark, 1 ounce. 

Bed Elm Bark, lj ounces. 

Blackberry Boot, 1^ ounces. 



164 OUR FAMILY DOCTOB. 

Make a decoction with sufficient water, and to each pint add a 
piece of alum about the size of a walnut ; when cool, strain and use 
as a gargle. 

What has been said under the head of putrid sore throat, will be 
found useful in the treatment of quinsy. When there is a tendency 
to this disease, the throat should be sponged every morning with 
cold salt water. Local applications are of great value. Great relief 
is experienced by inhaling the steam of hot vinegar or water from a 
teapot. Gargles made of port wine or brandy and water are very 
useful in restoring the tone of the fibres, when relaxed from dis- 
tention. 

If the attack increases in severity, use a decoction of wormwood, 
hops, and catnip, with equal parts of soft water and vinegar ; boil 
for two hours. Put the preparation in a large pitcher, and place a 
funnel over it, by which means let the patient inhale the steam for 
fifteen or twenty minutes, every two hours. 

The following liniment is very useful : — 

Sassafras Oil, ^ ounce. 

Olive Oil...... ^ ounce. 

Spirits of Hartshorn, ^ ounce. 

Gum Camphor, 2 drachms. 

Mix ; warm, and bathe the throat as long as the patient can bear 
it, several times a day, after which bind a piece of flannel round the 
neck, soaking the feet in warm water every night, in quinsy. 

In the treatment of mumps, it is seldom that medicine of any kind 
is needed. Keep the patient in a warm bed, and promote perspira- 
tion by the free use of balm tea. Bathe the feet in a tepid bath, and 
keep the bowels open. If the swelling greatly increases, use a poul- 
tice of wild indigo and slippery elm. If the testicles swell, bathe 
them with sweet oil and camphor. If the pain still continues, use 
the following liniment : — 

Scraped Castile Soap, 1 drachm. 

Sassafras Oil, ^ ounce. 

Sweet Oil, 1 ounce. 

Camphor, 3 drachms. 

Mix, and apply warm three times a day. 



THE LUNGS: ANATOMY AND FUNCTIONS. 



165 



THE LUNGS. 



ANATOMY AND FUNCTIONS. 



Fig. 51. 




Front View of the Cavity of the Chest. 

a - &> c «-»per, lower, and middle lobe of the right lung ; d, e, upper and lower lobe of the 
left lung y, heart ; g, pulmonary artery, — this artery rises from the right ventricle of the heart, 
and divides into two branches, one going to each lung; i. the aorta, or large artery of the 
heart; k, vena cava; I, diaphragm; m, chest bone; n, windpipe; o, p, right and left lobe of 
the liver; q, stomach. 

The Lungs are two vesicular organs situated in the thorax or 
chest, the cavity of which, together with the heart and larger blood- 
vessels, they nearly fill up ; so that when the walls of this cavity are 
compressed, the air is forced out of the minute air-cells of which 









166 



OUR FAMILY DOCTOR 



Fig. 52. 




the lungs are composed, into the several elastic membranes (the 
bronchi) connected with them. These bronchial passages afterwards 
unite, and form one tube, the trachea or windpipe, through which 
the air passes upwards and downwards in the act of inspiration and 

expiration, or breathing, as 
it is popularly called. A refe- 
rence to Fig. 51 will enable 
our readers to understand 
this more clearly. Here it 
will be seen how each divi- 
sion of the lungs occupies 
its own side of the chest; 
the left is the smallest of 
the two, because the heart, 
whose place is between the 
lungs, takes up more room 
on that side than the other. 
The windpipe, or trachea, at 
the top has the larynx, or 
organ of voice; while the 
lower extremity divides into 
two branches or bronchi, one 
for each lung, on entering 
which it divides and subdivides into extremely minute tubes, which 
terminate in the air-cells, small membraneous cavities, on the walls 
of which the blood circulates in a network of veins, in such a way 
that it is brought into immediate connection with the atmospheric 
air, which is drawn in by each inspiration, and so obtains its due 
supply of oxygen; that, and other gases of which the air is com- 
posed, making its way through the extremely thin membrane which 
forms the air-cells: thus noxious, as well as healthful vapors, or 
gases, are introduced into the circulation, and men are poisoned by 
breathing, as well as by eating and drinking, deleterious substances. 
If we examine the structure of the lungs, we find that it is porous 
like a sponge ; when, by the action of certain muscles, the capacity 
of the chest is increased, the air rushes in to fill the vacuum, and 
expansion of the lungs takes place ; then, the muscular movement 
ceasing, the ribs, by their weight and elasticity, contract and force 
out the air, and this alternate expansion and contraction constitutes 
breathing, in the act of which we see the chest rise and fall. The 



The Lungs. 

a, the larynx; b, the windpipe; c, d, right and left 
branches of the windpipe ; e, e, the bronchial tubes ; 
/, /, pulmonary vesicles. 



THE LUNGS: ANATOMY AND FUNCTIONS. 



167 



tubes, air cells, and blood-vessels of the lungs, are held together by 
what is called cellular tissue, and the whole are enveloped in a 
membrane which covers their surface and also the under surface of 
the ribs, for which latter purpose it is reflected back. This mem- 
brane is called the pleura. 

The action of the lungs 
may be forced or increased 
by an exercise of the will. 
In this case other muscles 
than those usually employed 
are called into play; hence 
the stoop in the shoulders 
often observed in asthamatic 
people and others with whom 
breathing is difficult. Men- 
tal emotion, and increased 
bodily exertion, will also 
cause an accelerated action 
of the lungs, as will those 
inflammatory and other dis- 
eases which stimulate arte- 
rial action. From fifteen to 
twenty-two is the average 
number of respirations in a 
minute, under common cir- 
cumstances; but this num- 
ber may, and often is, very 
greatly increased by excite- 
ment, exercise, or disease. 

The average weight of the lungs in a healthy condition is about 
forty ounces. They are, as we have seen, of a conical shape, em- 
bracing the heart between them, being internally concave to receive 
this organ, and externally conxex to suit the concavity of the chest. 
In their narrow part upward they extend a little above the fifth rib, 
their broad and slightly concave bases resting upon the diaphragm, 
and extending further down behind than before. Their color is a 
pinkish gray, mottled with black, — their shape we have already ex- 
plained. They hang free in the chest, except where they are at- 
tached to the spine, or rather to the mediastinum, by the pulmonary 
arteries and veins, and by the bronchial tubes on either side. The 




Magnified View of a Section of the Lung. 

Showing the arrangement of some of the lobules, 
the communication of the air-cells in one lobule, and 
their separation from those of the adjoining lobule. 
The ramifications of the blood-vessels in the texture 
of the lung, and their course through the air-cells 
are also seen. 1, 1, branches of the pulmonary veins ; 
2, 2, branches of the pulmonary artery. 



168 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

areola, or cellular tissue, which connects together the arteries, veins, 
or cells, &c, is called the parenchyma- of the lungs, and constitutes 
the second distinct tissue, of which they are composed, — the first, or 
outer, being the pleura, and the third, or inner, the mucous lining 
of the air passages, or cells into which the air enters when we 
breathe. So great is their number that they have been calculated 
to amount to 170,000,000, forming a surface thirty times greater 
than the human body. Every one of these cells is provided with a 
network of blood-vessels, by means of which the blood is brought 
into immediate contact with the air over every portion of their sur- 
face. When this great amount is taken into consideration, we shall 
at once feel how necessary it is to supply pure air to the lungs with 
every breath we breathe. Here then we have a beautiful and com- 
plicated piece of mechanism, in which the purification of the blood 
is effected, and the power of which, of producing at will a current 
of air through the lungs, makes the utterance of vocal sounds 
easy. 

The lungs of an infant before birth are dark red, and contracted 
into a small space, within the cavity of the chest. They are firm, 
and specifically heavier than water, in which therefore they sink, 
whether entire or cut into pieces. They also give out little or no 
blood, and no air-bubbles arise from them. This, therefore, is con- 
sidered a good test whether a newly-born infant found dead, under 
suspicious circumstances, was really born so. If it has ever breathed 
the lungs will have become inflated, so as to float on water; they 
will then be of a pale-red color, and appear of a loose spongy tex- 
ture ; having expanded, too, so as to fill the cavity of the chest, and 
cover the heart, as we see them in the diagram of that organ above 
referred to. 

The diseases to which the lungs are mostly liable, are all, in their 
first stages, of an inflammatory character; and it is important to 
ascertain, as soon as they are attacked, in which of the various 
tissues, or other structures, the mischief resides The state of the 
lungs can generally be ascertained with tolerable certainty by means 
of auscultation : the passage of air into, and through them, giving 
rise to certain definite sounds well understood by the practised ear, 
applied closely to the outside of the chest, either with or without a 
stethoscope. When the lungs are not affected, these sounds vary 
but slightly in different individuals ; so that any deviation from their 
ordinary and natural tone, or compass, is easily detected as an indi- 



DISEASES OF THE LUNGS. 169 

cation of disease, which sometimes renders the lung so solid that 
the air cannot penetrate its tissues, and sometimes fills the cavity 
which contains it with water. In either case, percussion will but 
make a dull, heavy sound. Then the power of conducting sound 
varies according to the condition of the structure, so that an appli- 
cation from without is sure to produce such a response from within 
as gives the skilled physician all the information which he re- 
quires. — 

DISEASES OF THE LUNGS. 
ASTHMA. 

This is a disease of the lungs, whose main characteristic is labo- 
rious breathing, which comes in paroxysms, and is accompanied by 
a wheezing noise. Humid asthma is that in which the attack ter- 
minates with expectoration ; when it does not this it is called dry 
asthma. Persons so afflicted have generally disease of the heart or 
lungs. When they have not, it is called spasmodic asthma, and to 
this persons are sometimes subject, who, when the attack is past, 
may appear quite vigorous and healthy. 

Causes. — The causes of asthma are hereditary predisposition; 
dwelling in a cold or moist atmosphere, or being subject to sudden 
changes of temperature ; inward gout, intense study, or great mental 
anxiety; suppression of accustomed evacuations; irritation of the 
air-cells and lungs by atmospheric impurities; irritation of the 
stomach, uterus, or other viscera. 

Symptoms. — The attack commonly occurs in the night, the patient 
having gone to bed in a listless, drowsy state, with a troublesome 
cough, oppression at the chest, and symptoms of flatulency ; towards 
midnight probably fcbk breathing becomes more labored, the wheez- 
ing sound .louder, and ,ne patient is obliged to assume an erect pos- 
ture to prevent suffocation. Sometimes he starts out of bed, and 
rushes to the window fcr air , or he sits with his body bent forward, 
his arms resting on his knees, with a flushed or livid face, if it be 
not deadly pale, gasping and struggling for breath, in a condition 
painful to behold; the pulse is weak and intermittent, with palpita- 
tion of the heart ; sometimes there is vomiting, with involuntary 
emission of the urine, which is of a pale color, and relaxed bowels. 
The attack will probably last for a couple of hours or more, when 
the severe symptoms will gradually remit, with an expectoration of 
frothy mucus, and a tranquil sleep follows. For some days there 



170 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

will be felt a tightness of the chest, and the slightest exertion brings 
on a difficulty of breathing ; there will be slighter paroxysms, and, 
after a longer or shorter period, another severe one. 

Treatment. — The objects to be attained in this are, first, to mode- 
rate the violence of the paroxysms ; second, to prevent its recurrence. 
Gentle aperients should be administered, and anti-spasmodic mix- 
tures and injections ; a blister on the chest will often afford much 
relief. The following is a good formula for the mixture: — 

Tincture of Assafcetida, 2 drachms. 

Sulphuric Ether, „ 2 drachms. 

Tincture of Opium, 1 drachm. 

Peppermint Water, 6 ounces. 

Mix, and take a tablespoonful every hour. If the expectoration is 
scanty and difficult, add to this — 

Tincture of Squills, „.. 2 drachms. 

Wine of Tartarized Antimony, , . 1 drachm. 

Or make the vehicle, instead of peppermint water, mixture of 
ammoniacum, that is about two drachms of the gum rubbed down 
with six ounces of water. The best aperient is castor oil, given in 
peppermint, or weak brandy and water. Where there is reason to 
suppose the stomach is overloaded, an emetic, composed of one 
grain of tartarized antimony, and one scruple of powder of ipecacu- 
anha, in half a tumbler of warm water, should be given. The enema 
may consist of two drachms of gum assafcetida to a pint of thin 
gruel. Tincture of lobelia inflata is good in obstinate cases, dose 
one drachm ; and also tincture of nicotiana, or tobacco, in nauseating 
doses. Inhaling the fumes of the leaves of this plant through a 
pipe, and also of stramonium, is sometimes of service, and the good 
effect of either will be assisted by a cup of hot coffee, putting the 
feet in warm water, or using the warm bath. 

To prevent the return of a paroxysm of asthma, avoid the exciting 
causes, keep the bowels gently open with rhubarb or some other 
mild aperient, and strengthen the tone of the stomach by bitter in- 
fusions, such as camomile or gentian. If there is tightness of the 
chest, put on a blister, and take an emetic now and then to clear 
out the phlegm from the bronchial passages. Take at bedtime ten 
grains of Dover's powder, or the same of compound squill pill, with 



DISEASES OF THE LUNGS. 171 

a little warm gruel. For the rest, take light and nourishing diet, 
avoiding everything difficult of digestion; wear warm clothing — 
flannel next the skin ; have regular and moderate exercise ; change 
of climate if possible, should the situation occupied be damp, or 
bleak and exposed. Do not indulge in sensual or intemperate 
habits. 

Herbal, or Eclectic Tkeatment for Asthma. 

When the symptoms appear, at once place the feet in warm water, 
and take a decoction of catnip or pennyroyal, to produce a gentle 
perspiration. If the attack still continues, take a tablespoonful of 
the tincture of lobelia in a cup of warm tea, every half hour, The 
following remedy has produced marked results in severe cases. 
Take a half ounce of well-bruised seneca snakeroot ; immerse in one 
pint of water, and boil over a slow fire till reduced to a half pint. 
Dose, a tablespoonful every ten or fifteen minutes. A teaspoonful 
of mustard- seed, taken in tea or soup morning and evening, has 
cured many severe cases. Damp houses and damp air must be 
carefully avoided. Let the food be light and nutritious ; sleep on a 
hard mattress ; and frequently take the country air. 

BLEEDING PROM THE LUNGS (Hcemoptyds). 

This denotes in general the spitting of blood, and is generally 
used by pathologists to signify the expectoration of blood from the 
lungs and air-tubes. It is important to ascertain the source of the 
blood which escapes from the mouth, and, if determined to be from 
the lungs, to ascertain whether it is symptomatic of disease of these 
organs, or merely vicarious in its character. It is not so much dan- 
gerous in itself as a indication of some other dangerous disease, 
being most frequently connected with tubercular consumption. 

Causes. — Bleeding from the lungs may occur without organic 
disease, in plethoric and robust individuals living a life of excite- 
ment and excess, and in nervous, irritable individuals, weakened by 
mental or bodily fatigue, and leading sedentary lives. It is often 
hereditary, and may be brought on by violent muscular effort, 
paroxysms of cough, blows or pressure on the chest, inspiration of 
irritating vapors, or of rarefied air on high mountains. The blood 
mry be exuded from the tracheal or bronchial membranes, or it may 
proceed from capillaries communicating with the air-passages in any 
part of their extent. The amount varies from a drachm or two to 



— 



172 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

as many pints at a time, and is generally florid, and more or less 
mixed with air, differing from the dark, coagulated blood which 
comes from the stomach. 

Symptoms. — An attack is frequently announced by a feeling of heat 
and oppression in the chest behind the sternum, followed by a 
cough, which brings up the blood. When the quantity is very 
great, it pours forth without a cough, and almost by an act of vomit 
ing, with considerable spasmodic effort. 

Treatment. — Elevating the breast and shoulders, admitting plenty 
of fresh air, with spare diet, and perfect quiet, are among the most 
useful measures to be adopted. The chest should be sponged with 
vinegar and cold water, and a dessert-spoonful of the former in half 
a wineglassful of the latter will be a useful accompaniment to any 
other medicines which may be thought necessary. The oil of tur- 
pentine, ten to thirty drops in a glass of water; or gallic acid, in 
doses of ten to fifteen grains, every three or four hours, have been 
found of great value. Cold liquids, and the sucking of pieces of ice, 
will be of service. Nauseating medicines, as tartar emetic and 
ipecacuanha, are also frequently employed. A teaspoonful of com- 
mon salt, taken frequently, is an excellent popular remedy. In all 
cases calmness of mind, rest, silence, erect position, cool air, and 
freeness of the bowels, should be enjoined. When the attack pro- 
ceeds from congestion, bloodletting is recommended in certain cases. 
If cough be present, it should be allayed by narcotics. After the 
attack, astringent tonics, as iron and quinine, may be given ; and 
the return of the bleeding is to be guarded against by avoiding the 
exciting causes, and attending to the general health. 

COUGH. 

Cough is a convulsive effort of the lungs to get relief of phlegm 
or other matter. It may be a symptom of bronchitis, or catarrh, or 
croup, or influenza, or laryngitis, or phthisis, or pleurisy, or pneu- 
monia, or relaxed uvula, or of hooping-cough. 

We can here lay down but a few general principles with regard 
to the treatment of simple cough, without reference to the peculiar 
disease of which it may be symptomatic ; and first let us observe, 
that it may be either what is properly, as well as medically termed 
dry or moist. In the former case, opium and its preparations are 
advisable ; in the latter they should not be used. The irritation 
will be best allayed by henbane or hemlock, either the tincture or 



DISEASES OF THE LUNGS. 173 

extract, with demulcents, as barley-water, flaxseed-tea, &c, and 
liquorice, either the root boiled or extract. It is well also to add 
from five to ten drops of ipecacuanha wine to each dose. Inhalation 
also of the steam from boiling water will generally be found bene- 
ficial ; and especially if some medicinal herb, such as horehound or 
coltsfoot, be infused in it. In moist coughs, there should not be so 
much fluid taken, and the use of demulcents must be somewhat re- 
stricted. Opiates may be administered, but not too freely, either 
separately or in cough mixtures. Paregoric elixir, in which the 
opium is combined with benzoic acid and oil of aniseed (expecto- 
rants), and camphor (anti-spasmodic), is perhaps the best form of 
administration. A teaspoonful in a glass of water, generally allays 
the irritation, and the frequent desire to cough which arises from it. 
In cases where there is difficulty of expectoration, some such mix- 
ture as this should be taken : — 

Compound Tincture of Camphor, 4 drachms. 

Ipecacuanha Wine, 9 drachms. 

Oxymel of Squills, 2 drachms. 

Mucilage of Acacia, 1 ounce. 

Water, 4 ounces. 

Mix, and take a tablespoonful when the cough is troublesome. 
For old people, two drachms of tincture of benzoin, commonly 
called friar's balsam, may be added to the above ; and if there should 
be much fever, two drachms of sweet spirits of nitre. For all kinds 
of cough, counter irritants should be applied, such as blisters and 
warm plasters, rubbing in of stimulant ointments on the chest and 
between the shoulders ; those parts also should be well protected 
by flannels next the skin. For coughs which are more particularly 
troublesome by night, it is best to give the opium, henbane, or hem- 
lock, as the case may be, at bedtime, in the shape of a pill ; of the 
extracts of either of the latter, five grains may be given ; of the first, 
one or two grains of the gum, or one-quarter of a grain of morphine. 
A long experience of their efficacy among a large number of dispen- 
sary patients enables the author to recommend with confidence the 
following pills : — 

Compound Squill Pill, 1 drachm. 

Ipecacuanha Powder, ^ drachm.. 

Extract of Hyoscyamus, ^ drachm. 

Mix, and make into twenty-four pills, and take one or two on 
going to rest. 



174 OUB, FAMILY DOCTOR. 

Coughs should never be neglected, they are so frequently symp- 
tomatic of organic disease. If they do not yield to simple reme- 
dies, let medical advice be sought, whether the patient be old or 
young. 

CONSUMPTION. 

Phthisis, or consumption, is a disease which, unfortunately, is but 
too prevalent and fatal in this country, as in most others. It spares 
neither age nor sex, and its attacks, at first so insidious as almost 
to escape notice, but too frequently lead to a fatal issue. It is the 
result of the formation and development of tubercles in the lungs. 
These first appear in the form of small, gray, semi-transparent gran- 
ulations, which gradually enlarge and become opaque, and after a 
time empty themselves into the bronchial tubes, and thus the sub- 
stance of the lung is gradually destroyed. 

Causes. — The causes of this disease are divided into remote and 
exciting. Of the former, the most important is hereditary predis- 
position. It is not, however, an actual cause of the disease ; and 
hence there are many cases in which the children of consumptive 
parents do not fall a prey to this disease ; but it renders those who 
are in that condition much more liable to be affected by the exciting 
causes. "Whatever weakens the strength of the system, or interferes 
with the oxygenation of tho blood, tends to the production of this 
disease. Hence living in bad air, insufficient and unwholesome 
food, and sedentary pursuits, tend to it. Among the more exciting 
causes are exposure to cold or damp, especially after the body has 
been heated, intemperance of any kind, profuse evacuations, and 
exposure to the reception of dust into the lungs, as in the case of 
certain artificers, needle-pointers, stonecutters, and the like. 

Symptoms. — The earliest symptom of consumption that usually 
manifests itself is a short, dry cough, exciting no particular atten- 
tion, being attributed to a slight cold. It, however, continues, and 
after a time increases in frequency. The breathing is more easily 
hurried by bodily motion, and the pulse becomes more frequent, 
particularly after meals and towards evening. Towards evening 
there is also frequently experienced a slight degree of chilliness, 
followed by heat and nocturnal perspirations. The patient becomes 
languid and indolent, and gradually loses strength. After a time 
the cough becomes more frequent, and is particularly troublesome 
during the night, accompanied by an expectoration of a clear, frothy 



DISEASES OF THE LUNGS. • 175 

substance, which afterwards becomes more copious, viscid, and 
opaque, and is most considerable in the morning; the sputa are 
often tinged with blood ; or haemoptysis occurs in a more marked 
form, and to a greater extent. As the disease advances, the breath- 
ing and pulse become more hurried; the fever is greater, and the 
perspirations more regular and profuse. The emaciation and weak- 
ness go on increasing ; a pain is felt in some part of the thorax, 
which is increased by coughing, and sometimes becomes so acute as 
to prevent the patient from lying on the affected side. All the 
symptoms increase towards evening : the face is flushed ; the palms 
of the hands and soles of the feet are affected with a burning heat ; 
the feet and ankles begin to swell ; and in the last stage of con- 
sumption there is nearly always profuse diarrhoea. The emaciation 
is extreme; the countenance assumes a cadaverous appearance, the 
cheeks are prominent, the eyes hollow and languid. Usually the 
appetite remains entire till the end, and the patient flatters himself 
with the hope of a speedy recovery, often vainly forming distant 
projects of interest or amusement, when death puts a period to his 
existence. Tubercular deposits are also usually found in other 
organs of the body: the liver is enlarged and changes in appear- 
ance, and ulcerations occur in the intestines, the larynx, and trachea. 
These are so frequent and uniform as to lead to the belief that they 
form part of the disease. 

Treatment. — It is of the utmost importance to be able to meet 
and counteract the earliest approach of this disease. The constitu- 
tions that are most liable to its attack are generally characterized 
either by a fair, delicate, rosy complexion, fair hair, clear skin, and 
great sensibility, or by dark complexion, large features, thick and 
sallow skin, and heavy general expression. The development of the 
disease is preceded by a peculiar form of indigestion, known as 
" strumous dyspepsia." It is specially characterized by a dislike of 
fatty food, sometimes also of sugar and alcohol, and is accompanied 
with heartburn and acid eructations after taking food. Unlike 
inflammation, tubercles almost invariably commence at the apex of 
the lungs, and it is here that they are usually most advanced. It is 
here, then, that the skillful physician, by means of auscultation and 
percussion, is able to detect the first direct symptoms of the incipient 
disease. The treatment of this disease is of two kinds, — the one 
directed to strengthening the system for its prevention in those 
predisposed to it, or overcoming it in its incipient stages ; the other 



176 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

to arresting its progress after -the tubercles have manifested them 
selves. The former class comprises a proper attention to the diges- 
tive organs, with wholesome diet, exercise in the open air, regular 
habits, attention to the skin, and, if necessary, change of air. The 
diet should be nutritious, but not stimulant, and the exercise not 
violent or too prolonged. Sea-voyages, or residence at the seaside, 
are generally found to be very beneficial ; and, as a general rule, 
those places that are least subject to variations of temperature are 
recommended. The practice, however, of sending patients in the 
last stage of consumption away from home — to Minnesota, Florida, 
or elsewhere— cannot be too strongly reprobated. Of the more 
directly curative remedies unquestionably the most valuable is cod- 
liver oil. It should be taken in small quantities at first, probably a 
teaspoonful three times a day, during or immediately after meals ; 
and the effect is greatly to improve the appearance of the patient, 
and to counteract the progress of the disease. If taken early, the 
tuberculous deposit may be arrested, and the patient restored to a 
state of health ; and, even where this is not the case, the progress 
of the disease will at least be retarded. Tonic medicines, such as 
bark, sarsaparilla, iron, and iodine, are also very beneficial in the 
treatment of phthisis ; at least in those cases where inflammation or 
much febrile excitement does not exist. Where inflammation already 
exists, it may be subdued by counter-irritants to the upper parts of 
the chest. These are the general remedies to be employed; the 
more prominent special features of the disease require particular 
medicines. One of the most distressing and harassing of these is 
the cough, which may be alleviated by the application of sinapisms 
or stimulating plasters to the chest, or by the internal use of muci- 
laginous mixtures, squills, conium, opium, ether, &c. The night 
perspirations, when very copious, are best checked by the use of 
mineral acids, as sulphuric acid given with quinine, or nitric acid 
in a decoction of sarsaparilla. Diarrhoea commonly subsides by a 
strict regulation of the diet, and the avoidance of all stimulating 
food and medicine; otherwise small doses of chalk and opium, or 
rhubarb and opium, may be administered. "When the pulse is very- 
frequent and the palpitation distressing, digitalis may be used. 
The duration of this disease depends upon a great variety of circum- 
stances, and varies from a few months up to four, five, or more 
years ; the average, however, may be taken at about two years ; but 
many of the cases terminate fatally between the fourth and ninth 



DISEASES OF THE LUNGS. 177 

month. The question as to whether consumption be contagious has 
often been discussed, and medical men are by no means unanimous 
on the subject. The majority are probably in favor of its being 
non-contagious ; though there are not wanting weight and numbers 
on the other side, to which, indeed, the present writer believes that 
he has had evidence for adhering. At all events, no one should be 
allowed to sleep with a consumptive patient after the disease has 
fully manifested itself. 

Herbal, or Eclectic Treatment. 

Abundance of fresh air ; light, nutritious food, and correct per- 
sonal habits, are the best remedies to rely on. All others will be 
useless if these matters are neglected. There can be no substitute 
for air and exercise. Let the exercise be gentle, so as not to cause 
fatigue, and take special care after exercising not to get cool too 
quick by standing still or sitting in a draught of cold air, open win- 
dow, or cold room. 

The cold or tepid bath should be used three or four times a week. 
Inhaling the fumes of tar made warm in a teapot is very useful. It 
will ease the violence of the cough, and produce a free discharge of 
the mucous matter. For night sweats, take sulphuric acid and 
nitric acid, of each one drachm ; mix in a cup of water ; dose, a tea- 
spoonful in a pint of sage tea. During the day, strong chamomile 
tea is very useful ; as is a decoction of common polypody and liver- 
wort, drank freely during the day. 

A tablespoonful each of tar and honey beat up with the yolk of an 
egg and mixed with milk, and taken once or twice a day, is very 
good. 

For females, especially when the menses are stopped, a wineglass- 
ful of decoction of elecampane once a day, has been found very 
useful. The diarrhoea may be checked by infusion of blackberry 
root. 

ENLARGEMENT OF THE AIR-CELLS (.Emphysema). 

Symptoms. — Shortness of breath, often very severe, especially after 
exercise, difficulty of breathing, palpitation of the heart, coldness of 
the extremities, and a livid color in the face and lips, a slight cough, 
and scanty expectoration. 



178 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

Treatment. — The treatment will be to afford relief when the 
paroxysms are on, by means of opiates and anti-spasmodics, such 
as the following: — 

Laudanum, 1 drachm. 

Sulphuric Ether, 2 drachms. 

Camphor Mixture, 4 ounces. 

A fourth part to be given every three hours until relief is afforded. 
The patient should not lie, but sit with the shoulders raised, and 
have plenty of fresh air. If the bowels are in a state likely to pro- 
duce flatulency, carminative aperients should be administered. 

HAY-ASTHMA. 

Hay-asthma, hay-fever, and summer bronchitis, is a disease which 
occurs about the time of the hay harvest, and appears to be caused 
by the pollen of some wild plants getting into and inflaming the 
bronchial passages. This theory is supported by the fact that those 
who live in situations where there is little or no vegetation do not 
suffer from it. 

Symptoms. — A difficulty of breathing, and a burning sensation in 
the throat, are the chief characteristics of this affection. 

Treatment. — Removal to a different locality is most effectual. 
The following is a valuable remedy: — 

Citrate of Iron, 1 drachm. 

Sulphate of Quinine, 1 scruple. 

Extract of Nux Vomica, 8 grains. 

Mix, and make into thirty-two pills. Dose, one pill three times 
a day. 

INFLAMMATION OF THE LUNGS (Pneumonia). 

Causes. — Lung-fever is inflammation of the substance of the 
lungs. It may be occasioned by any of the causes which produce 
inflammation in general, — vicissitudes of temperature, the applica- 
tion of cold, violent exercises of the body, exertions of the voice, &c. 
It occurs most frequently in the winter and spring months. 

Symptoms. — It is characterized by fever, difficulty of breathing, 
cough, dryness of the skin, heat, anxiety, thirst, and a sense of 
weight and pain in the chest. The pain is dull, deep-seated, and 



DISEASES OF THE LUNGS. 179 

rarely acute, unless the pleura be likewise affected. At first the 
cough is frequently dry, and without expectoration ; but after one 
or two days matter is brought up, viscid and rusty-colored, and 
often streaked with blood. In favorable cases, this disease may 
decline on the third or fourth day, but more frequently it is pro- 
tracted to ten days or a fortnight. In unfavorable cases the symp- 
toms increase on the third or fourth day, and become more and 
more aggravated, until at length the patient dies, exhausted or 
asphyxiated. A high degree of fever, attended with delirium, great 
difficulty of breathing, acute pain and dry cough, denote great 
danger; while, on the contrary, an abatement of the febrile symp- 
toms and of the difficulty of breathing and pain, taking place on the 
coming on of a free expectoration, or other critical evacuation, pro- 
mise fair for recovery. 

Treatment. — Linseed poultices or poppy-head fomentations should 
be applied to the chest ; a dose of castor-oil should also be given ; 
the diet should be light and unstimulating, and the patient kept 
perfectly quiet in bed, the air of the room being kept moist by the 
evaporation of boiling water, while the temperature is maintained 
at about 55° Fahr. If the patient be weak, it may be necessary to 
support his strength by means of moderate quantities of wine or 
brandy. During convalescence, or after suppuration, tonic medi- 
cines and a nourishing but not stimulating diet, are necessary to 
support the strength of the patient. 

PLEURISY. 

Pleurisy, or pleuritis, is inflammation of the pleura, or investing 
membrane of the lungs. 

Causes. — Among the causes of pleurisy the more common are 
exposure to cold, especially after violent exercise, blows on the 
chest, fracture of the ribs, tubercles in the lungs. It is most pre- 
valent in winter, and, next to that, in autumn. Old persons are 
most subject to it, but it may occur at any period of life. 

Symptoms. — It is usually distinguished as acute and chronic. The 
former generally commences with chills, rigors, and the ordinary 
symptoms of inflammatory fever, accompanied or followed by a 
sense of weight in the chest, which in a few hours becomes acute 
pain, usually referred to a point directly below the nipple. There 
is also generally a short dry cough, and the breathing is frequent, 



180 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

short, and anxious, — the pain being increased by a deep inspiration 
. or the act of coughing. Sometimes the patient can only lie upon 
the affected side, sometimes only upon the opposite one ; but usually 
he prefers lying upon his back. The pulse is frequent and hard, 
skin hot, cheeks flushed, urine scanty and high-colored, and tongue 
white. These symptoms are not always so well marked, and the 
pain is sometimes more diffuse and less severe. In most cases the 
acute pain, as well as the fever, subsides on the third or fourth day, 
and the cough and difficulty of breathing abate, though the pleura 
still continue in a state of inflammation. 

Treatment. — In the treatment of this disease the object is to re- 
duce the local inflammation and prevent effusion. Hot and moist 
flaxseed poultices or poppy-head fomentations should be applied to 
the chest, the diet should be light and unstimulating, and purga- 
tives should be administered. Blood-letting is not now generally 
recommended or practised, and should only be had recourse to in 
severe cases, and then only locally, by means of leeches or cupping- 
glasses. In chronic pleuritis the symptoms are usually those of the 
acute form in a mitigated state. It may succeed the acute, or it 
may come on gradually without any of the more marked features of 
that disease. There is usually more or less of fever, an acceleration 
of the pulse, emaciation, difficulty or hurry of breathing, increased 
by exertion, more or less of pain or soreness, and inability to lie on 
the healthy side. . The treatment of this form of the disease differs 
from that of the other, the object being to promote the absorption 
of the effused matter, and also to support the patient's strength. 
For promoting the absorption of the effused fluid, as well as for 
preventing its further secretion, counter-irritants are used, as blis- 
ters, eruption liniments, tincture of iodine, — the last painted over - 
the part, or exhibited internally, will be found to act very bene 
ficially in removing the effusion. The general health is to be im- 
proved by a nutritious but not heating or stimulating diet, and by 
the cautious administration of such tonics as the strength of the 
patient is able to bear. Change of air will often be found to act 
most beneficially in such cases, and is frequently efficacious when 
most other remedies have failed. Failing other means, recourse is 
sometimes had to the operation of paracentesis thoracis, or tapping 
the thorax, for setting free the effused matter ; but the operation is 
attended with considerable danger, and is rarely productive of more 
than a temporary relief. 



DISEASES OF THE LUNGS. 181 

I 

STITCH IN THE SIDE. 

Stitch in the side, or spurious pleurisy, is a spasmodic affection 
of the muscles of the chest, and is rheumatic in its origin. With 
this there are not the symptoms of inflammation nor difficulty of 
breathing, except that caused by the pain or stitch in the side. 
Exposure to cold or violent exercise will also cause this. It gene- 
rally yields to warm applications, mustard poultices, or stimulating 
liniments. The best medicines in this case will be pills of colocynth 
three grains, with extract of colchicum one-quarter of a grain in 
each, taken every night ; and three times a day a seidlitz draught, 
with fifteen grains of wine of colchicum and six of laudanum in 
each. 



182 



OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 



THE HEAKT. 



ANATOMY AND FUNCTIONS. 



Fig. 54. 




Front View of the Heart, with the Walls of the Right and Left Ventricles 

removed. 

a, b, right and left walls of the ventricles; c, septum ventriculorum ; d, cavity of the right 
ventricle ; e, cavity of the left ventricle ; /, valves of the right ventricle ; g, valves of the left 
ventricle ; h, entrance of the pulmonary artery ; i, entrance of the aorta ; I, m, upper and lower 
vena cava ; n, pulmonary artery ; o, aorta ; q, heart-case, or pericardium. 

The Heart is the great central organ of circulation. Its form is 
that of an irregular cone, having its base directed backward towards 
the spine, and its point forward and downward towards the left 



THE HEART: ANATOMY AND FUNCTIONS. 



183 



side ; so that at each contraction it may be felt striking between 
the fifth and sixth ribs, about four inches from the median line. 
In this position it rests upon the diaphragm, having the surface on 
which it lies much flattened. On its right side, it is firmly attached 

Fig. 55. 




Front View of the Heart, with the Pericardium drawn aside. 

to the diaphragm, which, it should be remembered, is the muscular 
partition between the chest and abdomen ; and behind, by the vena 
cava, or trunk vein which passes through the diaphragm. Behind 
and above, the heart is also attached, although somewhat loosely, 
to the upper and back part of the chest, by the vessels which there 
pass out of the pericardium, or membraneous bag in which the 
heart is perfectly enclosed, although it is sufficiently loose to allow 
of free motion. In a healthy state, the pericardium is lined with 
what is called the serous membrane, which is smooth and moist, 
and constitutes its inner coat or layer, the outer one being fibrous. 
This membrane is also reflected, so as to give the heart two cover- 
ings, which, at every motion of the organ, glide smoothly over each 
other, and thus prevent friction. 

The heart may be popularly described as a hollow muscle, having 
four cavities, two on each side. Its action is that of a kind of double 



184 



OUR FAMILY DOCTOE. 



Fig 




pump, intended to carry on the twofold circulation, namely, through 
the body and through the lungs. The auricle and ventricle, on the 
left side, being devoted to the former, and those on the right to the 

latter. Between the cavities on one side, 
and those on the other, there is no natural 
communication, but each auricle is con- 
nected with its corresponding ventricle, by 
a valve which only opens by pressure on 
one side, so that the blood cannot pass 
except in the right direction, — any attempt 
to return being instantly resisted by the 
closing of the bag-like valves. Should 
these become diseased, so that they per- 
form their office imperfectly, there will be 
regurgitation, or passing back of the blood, 
and that occasions serious derangement of 
the balance of circulation, resulting in 
organic disease. These valves, which are 
also placed where the blood-vessels enter 
the different cavities of the heart, consist 
of membraneous folds, and are, according 
veins; 10,' right auricle; ii, right to their form, either sigmoid or semilunar. 

ventricle; 14, descending aorta; The regurgitation of blood into the lungs, 
15, tricuspid valves. ° ° . ° ' 

or other parts of the body, is not an un- 
frequent cause of hemorrhage or dropsy. 

It will, perhaps, conduce to the better understanding of all this, 
if we enter a little more fully into explanation, and refer back to 
Fig. 51, which exhibits the heart more in its relations to the sur- 
rounding parts. Let it be understood that the two large lobes on 
Fia. 57. either side are the lungs: f is the heart itself, re- 
ceiving into its right auricle the blood from the vena 
cava (Jc) ; this is the venous circulation, which has 
gone through the system, and is on its way back to 
the lungs to be reoxygenized. Opposite to this, or 
on the left side, is the left auricle, into which the 
Heart Valve, purified blood passes through the ventricle, and is 
pumped out into the aorta (i), and pulmonary artery {g). These 
are the main channels of the arterial circulation. The contraction 
of the auricle to force out the blood is called systole, and that of 
the ventricle diastole. At the root of each of the above-named 



Ideal Section of Mammalian 
Heart. 

1, superior vena cava; 2, inferior 
vena cava; 3, left auricle; 4, left 
ventricle; 5, mitral valve; 6, sep- 
tum ventriculorum ; 7, aorta; 8, 
pulmonary arteries ; 9, pulmonary 




DISEASES OF THE HEART. 



185 



Fig. 58. 



arteries are three valves, wnich are like membraneous bags, so 
arranged that when there is any regurgitation they assume the ap- 
pearance represented by Fig. 57. 

It was the opinion of Harvey that the heart 
was the sole agent by which the circulation was 
effected; but we know that there are several 
other agents that exercise, at least, auxiliary- 
powers. There is no doubt, however, that the 
heart has a marked influence upon all parts of 
the circulation: thus, in the large arteries, we 
may note that the increase of the current set in 
motion, exactly corresponds with the contrac- 
tion of the ventricles ; and this is observed also 
in the smaller arteries at an interval scarcely 
appreciable. In the capillaries even, there is an 
occasional pulsatile motion to be seen in the 
transparent parts of an animal, by means of a 
microscope, after a bleeding, when the heart is 
beating very faintly. In the veins, also, we find Course of Circulation, 
this influence exerted. If the main artery and a, incloses the four cham 
vein of a limb be exposed and isolated, and an bers of the heart; &, veins 

i . , i i j, . t a /> -i t -, bringing dark blood to c, 

opening made in the latter, the now oi blood right auricle ,-d, right Ten- 
may be regulated pretty exactly by compressing tricie; <?, pulmonary arte- 
the artery, and thus, as it were, cutting off from ^ y b ^Tonve^ 
the vein the supply given to it by the impulse the arteriaiized blood to g, 
of the heart, whence we may likewise note that Jf l * ?*??£ left T T entri 
it not only by its contraction propels the blood, rows show the direction 
but in its expansion it acts as a sucker to draw of the culTent - 
it up, so that it is at once both a sucking and a forcing pump ; and 
such is the power of its action that the whole raass of the circula- 
tion, about twenty-eight pounds, goes through the system in the 
space of three minutes. 




Ideal View of the 



DISEASES OF THE HEAET. 



The heart, from the important part which it plays in the animal 
economy, is subject to various, serious, and often fatal diseases. 
Like the other viscera, it is removed from the eye, so that but little 
knowledge of its condition can be obtained by inspection ; and hence 
we must have recourse to other means. The ear is the principal 



186 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

means of obtaining a knowledge of the state of the heart, and by 
auscultation and percussion we are enabled to detect the existence 
of various diseases. The heart gives out two sounds, known as the 
first and second, which are distinguished from each other. The first 
sound is longer than the second, and the interval between the first 
and second sounds is shorter than that between the second and 
first. They have been compared to the two syllables lupp, dupp. 
Any manifest alteration in these sounds is indicative of the existence 
of disease. They may be high or low, clear or dull, muffled, rough, 
intermittent, &c. Murmurs or regurgitant sounds may arise from 
disease of the valves. The power of distinguishing between the 
normal and abnormal sounds of the heart, and of the causes pro- 
ducing the latter, can only be obtained by lengthened experience. 
Diseases of the heart are usually divided into two classes : first, 
functional or nervous; and second, structural or organic. Chief 
among the former are palpitations, syncope or fainting, and angina 
pectoris. They are chiefly to be met with in persons of a naturally 
nervous temperament, more especially women suffering from hyste- 
ria, or other like complaints, and may be induced by great mental 
excitement. In such cases great attention should be paid to the 
general health, and, by means of tonics, sea-bathing, and gentle 
open-air exercise, the system is to be strengthened. Violent exer- 
tion, and strong mental excitement, are particularly to be avoided. 
Among the principal organic diseases to which the heart is subject 
are pericarditis, carditis, endocarditis, atrophy, hypertrophy, dilation, 
and valvular diseases. 

SHRINKING OF THE HEART {Atrophy). 

A wasting of the heart's substance, arising from a deficiency in 
the supply of nutritive matter. It is usually accompanied -by gene- 
ral emaciation, and will be pretty sure to terminate in death. When 
the heart is examined after death, the tissues are found to have 
undergone a change, and, instead of a striped, to present a homo- 
geneous appearance. This is called "fatty degeneration." The 
treatment is to strengthen the system by tonics, wholesome and 
nutritious diet, open-air exercise, sea-bathing, and the like. 

DILATION OF THE HEART. 

Dilation of the heart is sometimes caused by excessive exertion 
and strong excitements of any kind. The whole substance of the 
organ, or one or more of the cavities, or smaller orifices, may be 



DISEASES OF THE HEART. 187 

dilated, the walls being merely extended, without any increase of 
substance. In this case the muscular parietes being thinned and 
feeble, there will be a want of vigor in the circulation, the muscular 
compression and extension will be weak and irregular, and. the 
valvular action incomplete, so that the blood will frequently escape 
out of its proper channels, and these hemorrhages, although trifling 
in themselves, will so reduce the patient that he will, probably, be 
carried off by one of them. Abstinence from the exciting causes of 
the disease, rest, and nourishing diet, with strict attention to the 
general state of the health, are the means to be taken in this 
case. 

DISEASE OF THE VALVES. 

Disease of the valves, so commonly follows endocarditis, if of long 
continuance, that it may almost be considered as a chronic form of 
that disease. It is a thickening of the internal lining of the heart, 
especially at the valves. It becomes not merely thickened uniformly, 
but is the seat of warty excrescences, and even cartilaginous and 
osseous formations of considerable size, extending into the cavities 
of the heart. In old persons, and especially those addicted to a 
generous mode of living, we most frequently meet with ossification, 
the effects of which are sanguineous and serous congestion, difficulty 
of breathing, apoplectic seizures, and other symptoms of embarrassed 
circulation. 

DROPSY OF THE HEART (Rydrothorax). 

This is a collection of fluid in the cavity of the chest, or the peri- 
cardium. It is never an idiopathic disease, but is consequent on 
some previous disorder of the viscera of the chest, it may be of the 
heart or lungs, or their investing membrane, the pericardium or 
pleura. 

Symptoms. — Great difficulty of breathing, especially after exertion, 
and when the body is in a horizontal position, with great weight 
and oppression at the chest; pallid, purpleish countenance, with an 
anxious expression, and the usual symptoms of dropsy. 

It requires the same treatment as dropsy. 

DISPLACEMENT OF THE HEART. 

This is generally congenital, but is sometimes a consequence of 
effused fluid, or of its subsequent absorption. Cases are on record 
where this organ has occupied the right side of the chest, the lungs 



188 OUR FAMILY DOCTOK. 

and other organs presenting a relative change of position without 
any disturbance of their functions. It has also been found pushed 
out of the left into the right side by tumors, or extensive effusion 
of fluid into the pleura. This latter is the more common occur- 
rence. 

INFLAMMATION OF THE PERICARDIUM (Pericarditis). 

Causes. — It may be induced by exposure to damp or cold, or by 
other causes, which give rise to inflammation in other parts. It 
frequently arises from acute rheumatism, or from Bright's disease. 

Symptoms. — It is characterized by great tenderness over the region 
of the heart, amounting, when pressed, to sharp cutting pains, which 
prevent the patient from lying upon the left side. If, as is usually 
the case, the pleura is involved, there will be acute pain on coughing 
or drawing a deep breath. Sometimes the attack js not so severe, 
and only a slight pain is felt, or only a sense of heaviness and 
oppression. Generally the action of the heart is increased, some- 
times so much so as to constitute palpitation. Frequently there is 
a considerable quantity of fluid effused into the cavity of the peri- 
cardium, which is sometimes externally visible by the bulging out 
over that part. 

Treatment. — Its mode of treatment depends very much upon the 
particular circumstances of each case. Where the disease is rapid 
and violent, bleeding may be of great service ; but this course is not 
so much relied on or practised now as formerly. The bicarbonate 
of potash, in half-drachm doses every two or three hours,, is recom- 
mended, together with opium, to relieve the pain and restlessness. 
Poppy fomentations, or flaxseed-meal poultices, applied to the part, 
serve to relieve the pain, and the vapor-bath will usually be found 
beneficial. The diet should at first be light and nourishing; but, if 
the patient is very weak, stimulants will be necessary, and after- 
wards the system should be strengthened by tonics. 

CARDITIS. 

Inflammation of the heart itself sometimes occurs, but it is usually 
accompanied with inflammation of the pericardium. The symptoms 
in both cases are the same, and the treatment will, consequently, be 
be similar in both. The like remarks will also apply, in a great 
measure, to 



DISEASES OF THE HEART. 189 

ENDOCARDITIS. 

Inflammation of the interior lining membrane of the heart, is 
usually accompanied by one or both of the above. In this case 
there is more or less of fever and anxiety, and a peculiar sound of 
the heart is heard upon auscultation. 

ENLARGEMENT OF THE VENTRICLES {Hypertrophy). 

This is the result of an excess of nutrition, the nutritive process 
appearing to go on more rapidly than the absorbent. Id this way 
the heart is often greatly enlarged in bulk, and its operations se- 
riously interfered with. It is usually distinguished into three kinds : 
first, simple, when the walls of the heart, or its divisions, are thick- 
ened, without any diminution in the capacity of the cavities ; second, 
eccentric, or aneurismal, when the walls are thickened, and the cavi- 
ties likewise enlarged; and third, concentric, when the cavities are 
diminished in proportion to the thickening of the walls. The first 
of these is the least common, and the second the most frequent; and 
any of them may affect a single cavity or the whole heart. From 
the force with which the blood is propelled in such cases being 
greatly increased, the tendency is to produce hemorrhages, aneurism 
of the aorta, apoplexy, &c. The pulsations are frequently regular, 
but strong, sometimes even visibly raising the bed-clothes, and the 
chest is bulged out over the part. 

Treatment. — Rest, abstinence, and more or less depletion, ac- 
cording to circumstances, are the proper means to be employed in 
such a case ; and usually, with care and perseverance, the symptoms 
will be much alleviated. 

PALPITATION OF THE HEART. 

Palpitation of the heart is an increase in the force or frequency 
of the heart's action. It is frequently produced by increased physi- 
cal action or mental emotion, and is sometimes the result of disease. 
Sometimes the palpitations are loud, and clear and regular; at 
others, they are faint and intermittent : now a distinct throb, or 
several, and then a tremulous flutter, or a quick beat, like the wings 
of a confined bird flapping against the bars of its prison. When 
there is violent throbbing of the heart, which may be felt by a hand 



190 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

pressed upon the chest, while the patient is himself unconscious of 
it, there is reason to apprehend organic disease ; but when there is 
such acute consciousness as we have described, there is generally 
only functional or nervous derangement, without any structural 
change. 

Causes. — A disordered stomach may be the cause, although 
there may be no other symptoms of this. We have known cases in 
which a very slight irregularity in the mode of living has produced 
palpitation of the heart, and that, too, in an otherwise healthy 
person. In some, almost any strong nervous stimulant will produce 
it, and we recollect one instance in which it always came on after a 
cup of tea, and was never troublesome when this beverage was not 
taken. 

We mention this to show that palpitation is not always, nor in- 
deed commonly, symptomatic of heart disease ; and need therefore 
cause no unnecessary alarm, although its frequent recurrence should 
set the patient inquiring as to what is the real cause. Young women 
with whom there is derangement of the menstrual functions, in 
whom the blood is watery and poor, wanting the red corpuscules ; 
the listless, the pallid, the hysterical, in these we meet with palpi- 
tation in its most aggravated forms ; as also in the indolent, the 
susceptible, and the delicate; those who dwell on morbid fancies, 
and excite the imagination with sensual thoughts, or horrible pic 
tures. To such every beat of the pulse seems like a call from the 
world of spirits, every nutter and palpitation like a brush from the 
wings of the angel of death, or the whispering voice of an accusing 
conscience. 

Treatment. — In these cases the only treatment likely to be of 
service must be directed towards removing the predisposing and 
exciting causes, and establishing a more healthy nervous condition : 
gentle exercise, tonics, change of air and scene, an endeavor to 
occupy the mind in some useful and moral pursuit ; a well-regulated 
and generally frugal, although sufficiently nourishing diet ; and a 
strict avoidance of all that can excite or stimulate either mind or 
body. By this means palpitations not connected with organic dis- 
ease, may generally be got rid of. If the patient is of a full habit, 
and has a tolerably strong pulse, a course of gentle purgatives may 
be necessary. They should not be salines, but of a cordial nature, 
something like this: — 



DISEASES OF THE HEART. 191 

Pill of Aloes and Myrrh, ^ drachm. 

Compound Galbannrn Pill, £ drachm. 

Divide into twelve pills, and take one at bed time. 

Compound Infusion of Senna, 3 ounces. 

Decoction of Aloes, 3 ounces. 

Spirits of Sal Volatile, ] drachm. 

Compound Tincture of Cardamums, 2 drachms. 

Tartrate of Potash, £ ounce. 

Mix, and take two tablespoonfuls occasionally. 

NEURALGIA OF THE HEART (Angina Pectoris'). 

A disease which is commonly connected with ossification, or other 
morbid affections of the heart. 

Symptoms. — It is characterized by a sudden and most violent pain 
across the chest, which extends down the arms, and seems to 
threaten immediate dissolution. It sometimes comes on during 
rest, but most usually after violent exertion. The paroxysm does 
not commonly last long, but it has been known to continue for an 
hour or more. 

Treatment. — An anodyne combined with ammonia has sometimes 
been found very effectual in relieving the spasm. The following is 
a gfood formula: — 



o 



Fetid Spirits of Ammonia, \ ounce. 

Solution of Morphine, 3 drachms. 

Camphor Mixture, 6 ounces. 

Take a tablespoonful every half hour until relieved. If the pa- 
roxysm is very violent, a little hot brandy and water may also be 
taken; or a teaspoonful of sal volatile or ether in water, and re- 
peated at intervals. If the pain continue, frictions and mustard 
plasters applied to the chest, soles of the feet, and calves of the 
legs. Where there is extreme faintness, the horizontal posture 
should be adopted. Persons subject to these attacks would do well 
to provide themselves with the following, as a medicine in case of 
need : — Half an ounce each of sulphuric ether, spirits of ammonia, 
and sal volatile ; two drachms of tincture of opium. Mix, and take 
a teaspoonful in water ; and repeat at the end of an hour if relief 
be not afforded. 



r—r 



192 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

Herbal, or Eclectic Treatment for Heart Diseases. 

In all cases of heart disease, the body and mind should be kept 
as easy and cheerful as possible. The diet should be well regulated, 
— nourishing but not stimulating. Coffee, tea, liquors, and tobacco 
must be dispensed with. The feet should be constantly dry and 
warm, and occasionally rubbed with mustard. 

For inflammatory diseases of the heart, the bowels, if costive, may 
be moved with compound tincture of jalap. To each dose add ten 
grains of cream of tartar. Keep up a perspiration till the pain is 
relieved, by giving a teaspoonful of compound tincture of Virginia 
snake-root ; also a warm infusion of pleurisy-root. Mustard-plasters 
over the chest and spinal column are also to be employed. If the 
patient is troubled with sleeplessness, give eight to ten grains of 
compound powder of ipecac and opium. 

For palpitation, the tincture of digitalis, ten or fifteen drops, three 
or four times a day, has been found useful. "When the nervous 
system is affected, give small quantities of wine or spirits, or a few 
drops of laudanum or ether. 

For neuralgia, or breast-pang, give a teaspoonful of a mixture of 
equal parts of laudanum, ether, and oil of castor. The powder of 
Indian hemp-root may also be taken in doses of a small teaspoonful 
two or three times a day. If the stomach is acid, a teaspoonful of 
soda in half a tumbler of water will correct it. 



THE ABDOMINAL CAVITY. 



193 



THE ABDOMINAL CAVITY. 



ANATOMY AND FUNCTIONS. 



Fig. 59. 



The Abdomen is the lower venter, or belly, containing the stomach, 
intestines, liver, spleen, pancreas, kidneys, &c. It is lined within 
by a membrane called the peritoneum, defended on either side by 
the short ribs, and covered with the abdominal muscles, which, by 
their relaxations and contractions, in the act of breathing, assist 
digestion, and give the necessary 
secretive and expulsive motions 
to the surrounding parts. 



The abdomen is bounded above 
by the midriff, or. diaphragm; or, 
to speak more clearly and scienti- 
fically, by the cartilago ensiformis; 
and below by the pelvic bones, 
forming the pelvic cavity, with 
which it communicates; at the 
front and sides are the before- 
mentioned abdominal muscles, 
which also extend backward to 
the vertebral column, or spine. 
This is the largest cavity of the 
human body, and, for convenience 
of description, it has been mapped 
out into three zones, — upper, mid- 
dle, and lower, — and several parts, 
or regions. 

Some anatomists include in the abdominal regions the inferior 
dorsal and lumbar, which are at the back, corresponding in position 
with the two upper zones. 




The Abdomen. 

1, epigastric region ; 2, the umbilical ; 3, 
the hypogastric; 4, 5, the hypochondriac; 
6, 7, the iliac ; 8, 9, the inguinal. 



194 



OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 



Fig. 60. 



The contents of the abdomen — or, as they would be more properly 
called, the abdominal viscera, this word being the plural of viscus, 
which means a bowel or any internal organ which has a specific 
use — are situated as shown in Fig. 60. Below the chest (1), and 

next to the diaphragm (2), is the 
liver (3), extending from beneath 
the right ribs across to the left, 
and having the largest develop- 
ment on the former side. Next to 
this is the stomach (4, the smaller 
end of which is situated in the 
epigastric, and the larger in the 
left hypochondriac region, where it 
comes in contact with the spleen, 
or melt. Behind the stomach lies 
the pancreas, or sweetbread. In 
the middle zone lies the large 
bowel (5), the omentum or caul, 
with a portion of the small intes 
tines (6); and behind these, close 
to the spine, are the kidneys. The 
small intestines also pass down 
the centre part of the inferior zone, as do laterally the ends of the 
large intestines, or colon ; and there also we find, when it is dis- 
tended, the upper portion of the bladder (7). Over all these viscera, 
covering and supporting them, extends the moist glistening mem- 
brane called the peritoneum, which extends also into what is called, 
in the male, the rectum, in the female the womb. Some of the ab- 
dominal viscera are solid, as the liver ; some hollow, as the intestines : 
and the sounds which they emit, when the abdomen is struck by the 
finger of the skillful physician, indicate to his trained ear the state 
and condition of the organs within. 

THE STOMACH. 

The stomach is the large membranous receptacle which receives 
the food from the oesophagus, and within which it is acted upon by 
the gastric juice and converted into chyme. It is situated in the 
left hypochondriac and epigastric regions, and when distended it 
has the shape of an irregular cone, having a rounded base and being 
curved upon itself. The left extremity is the larger, and is called 




The Abdominal Viscera. 



THE ABDOMINAL CAVITY. 



195 



Fig. 61. 




the greater or splenic end of the stomach, — the right or small end 
being called the pyloric. The oesophagus terminates in the stomach 
two or three inches from the great extremity by the cardiac orifice ; 
while by the pyloric orifice at the other end, the digested matter 
enters the duodenum. "When 
moderately filled, the stomach is 
about ten or twelve inches in 
length, and its diameter at the 
widest part about four inches. 
The walls of the stomach consist 
of four distinct coats, held toge- 
ther by fine areolar tissue, and 
named, in order from without in- 
wards — the serous, muscular, are- 
olar, and mucous coats. By some 
the areolar is not reckoned a dis- 
tinct coat. The first of ohese is a 
thin, smooth, transparent, elastic 
membrane, derived from the peri- 
toneum. The muscular coat is 
very thick, and composed of three 
sets of fibres — the longitudinal, 
circular, and oblique, which form 
three layers. The areolar and fibrous coat is a tolerably distinct 
layer, placed between the muscular and mucous coats, and con- 
nected with both. The last is a smooth, soft, rather thick and 
pulpy membrane, loosely connected with the muscular coat, and 
covered with exhaling and inhaling vessels. At the pyloric orifice, 
leading from the stomach into the duodenum, there is a sphincter 
muscle which contracts the aperture and prevents the passage of 
any matter into the intestines until properly digested. The food is 
propelled along the oesophagus, and enters the stomach in succes- 
sive waves through its cardiac orifice. It is then subjected to a 
peculiar peristaltic motion, having for its object to produce a 
thorough intermixture of the gastric fluid with the alimentary mass, 
and to separate that portion which has been sufficiently reduced 
from the remainder. This motion causes not only a constant agita- 
tion or churning of the contents, but also moves them slowly along 
from one extremity to the other. These revolutions are completed 
in from one to three minutes, being slower at first than after chymi- 



The Stomach and Surrounding Organs. 

I, the under- surface of the liver; g, the 
gall-hladder ; /, the common bile duct; o, the 
cardiac end of the stomach ; s, under surface 
of the stomach ; p, pylorus ; d, duodenum ; 
h, i, the pancreas, cut across to exhibit the 
structure of the pancreatic duct, and its 
branches; r, the spleen; c, portion of th9 
diaphragm; a, aorta. 



196 



OUR FAMILY DOCTOE. 



fication lias more advanced. The passage of the chyme or product 
of the gastric digestion through the pyloric orifice into the com- 
mencement of the intestinal tube is at first slow ; but when the 
digestive process is nearly completed, it is transmitted in much 
Fig. 62. larger quantities. 

THE LIVER. 

The liver is the secreting organ or 
gland by which the bile is formed. 
It is situated in the right hypochon- 
driac and epigastric regions below 
the diaphragm, and is of a reddish- 
brown color. Its form is irregular, 
being convex on the upper surface, 
irregularly concave below, very thick 
behind, and very thin in front ; and 
in the adult it generally weighs from 
three to four pounds. It is divided 
into two principal lobes — the right 
and left, the former of which is by 
far the larger. They are divided on 
the upper side by a broad ligament, 
and below by a considerable depres- 
sion, or fossa. Between and below 
these two lobes is a smaller lobe, 
called lohulus Spigelii, which is 
bounded on the left by the fissure 
for the lodgment of the ductus veno- 
sus ; on the right by the fissure for 
the vena cava. The lobulus caudatus 
is a tail-like process of the liver, 
stretching downwards from the mid- 
dle of the right lobe to the lobulus 
Spigelii. The liver, like the other 
viscera of the abdomen, receives an 
investment from the lining mem- 
brane of that cavity — the peritoneum, 
which, being reflected from it at diffe- 
rent points, forms broad bands, con- 
necting it with the surrounding parts. 




Diagram of the Principal Organs 
engaged in the preparation of food. 

a, muscles of the cheek; b, parotid 
gland ; c, muscles of the gullet ; d, larynx ; 
e, trachea; /, gullet; g, left ventricle of 
the heart; h, right auricle of the heart; 
i, left auricle; Jc, stomach; I, pancreatic 
duct; m, gall hladder; n, common duct; 
o, duodenum; p, mesenteric glands; q, 
thoracic duct. 



THE ABDOMINAL CAVITY. 



197 



An investment of areolar tissue is also spread over the organ, ex- 
tending into the interior, and forming thin but dense sheaths to 
the vessels and canals, called the capsule of Glisson. The proper 
tissue of the liver is composed of a great number of granular 

Fig. 63. 




Organs of Digestion. 

a. oesophagus ; b, diaphragm ; c, stomach ; g, duodenum ; h, ?', right and left lobe of the liver; 
h gall-bladder ; I, biliary duct ; m, mesentery ; q, ascending colon ; r, s, t, transverse colon ; 
v, rectum; w, bladder; y, spleen; z, left lung. 

bodies, of the size of millet, and called lobules, of a foliated appear- 
ance. The blood-vessels of the liver are the hepatic artery and veins 
and the vena portse ; the lymphatics are numerous, and the nerves 



198 



OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 



are supplied from the pneumogastric and phrenic, and the hepatic 
nexus. The liver thus receives two kinds of blood: arterial, by 
means of the hepatic artery, in small quantity, destined principally 
for the nourishment of the gland; and venous, by the vena portse, 
in much larger quantity, from which the bile is principally formed. 

Fig. 64. 

Fig. 65. 

M4pm 



Lobus of the Liver, 
showing Hepatic and Portal Veins. 

p, branches of portal vein ; I, capillaries 
connecting hepatic and portal reins; h, 
hepatic veins. 






Lobule showing the 
Hepatic Ducts. 

d, d, the hepatic ducts ; b, b, minute 
ramifications. 



The tributary branches, by the junction of which the main trunk 
of the portal vein is formed, comprise the veins which receive the 
blood from the stomach and intestinal canal, the spleen, pancreas, 
and gall-bladder. From these various sources, then, venous blood 
is poured into the liver by the vena portse, which divides and sub- 
divides, like an artery, till it reaches the interlobular spaces, forming 
a freely anastomosing network throughout the organ, and consti- 
tuting the interlobular veins. From these interlobular veins pro- 
ceed, on every side, minute capillaries, which form networks that 
seem to make up nearly the whole substance of the lobules. Through 
the capillaries the blood passes into m£ra-lobular veins, of which 
one, with its outspread branches, occupies the centre or axis of each 
lobule; and these intralobular veins, by successive junction and 
conflux, make up the trunks of the hepatic veins, by which the 
blood of the portal vein, after secretmg the bile, is carried from 
the liver. 

The secretion of bile, though the chief and most obvious of the 
functions of the liver, is not the only one which it has to perform ; 
for recent discoveries have shown that important changes are 
effected in certain constituents of the blood, in its transit through 



THE ABDOMINAL CAVITY. 199 

this gland, whereby they are rendered more fit for their subsequent 
purposes in the animal economy. From the labors of M. C. Bernard 
and others, it apppears that the low form of albuminous matter con- 
veyed from the alimentary canal by the portal vein requires to be 
submitted to the influence of the liver before it can be assimilated 
by the blood. The liver also possesses the remarkable property of 
forming sugar out of principles in the blood which contain no trace 
of saccharine or amylaceous matter. The excretory apparatus of the 
liver consts of the hepatic, common, and cystic ducts, and the gall- 
bladder. 

The biliary ducts commence by small twigs in each lobule, and 
join, forming, where they emerge from the gland, the hepatic duct. 
This duct, after passing down for a short distance, is joined at an 
angle by the cystic duct from the gall-bladder. The common 
duct thus formed is called the Ductus Communis Choledochus, and 
empties itself into the duodenum. 

The retention of the materials of the bile in the blood acts like a 
poison upon the nervous system, and if the suspension of secretion 
is complete, death soon takes place. Much of the cerebral disturb- 
ances accompanying dyspepsia, some forms of which are popularly 
known as "liver complaint," is doubtless due to deficiency of the 
biliary secretion, and the non-elimination of certain deleterious 
constituents. 

THE GALL-BLADDER. 

The gall-bladder is an oblong membranous receptacle, situated 
on the concave side of the liver, under the right lobe. It is about 
the size of a small hen's egg, and resembles a pear in shape. It has 
three coats — an external or peritoneal, a middle or fibrous, and an 
internal or villous. The inner coat has a reticulated honeycomb 
appearance, but does not possess any follicles for the purpose of 
secretion. It serves as a reservoir for the bile, which, when diges- 
tion is not going on, regurgitates through the cystic duct, and is 
retained for future use. The cystic duct connects the gall bladder 
with the hepatic duct, which proceeds from the liver, and the two, 
when united, form the Ductus Communis Choledochus, by which 
the bile is conveyed to the duodenum. The cystic duct presents 
internally a number of folds, which are generally circular. 



200 



OUR FAMILY DOCTOK. 



THE SPLEEN. 

The spleen is a spongy viscus, of a livid color, oval in figure, and 
situated in the left hypochondriac region, between the eleventh and 
twelfth false ribs. It is convex externally and concave internally, 
and its weight in the healthy adult is from four to ten ounces. It 
is largely composed of cells, but its internal structure is not well 
understood, neither have its uses been ascertained ; but it would 
seem to be in some way of use to the stomach during the process 
of digestion. 

THE INTESTINES. 

The intestines are that part of the alimentary canal which extends 
from the stomach to the anus, and is formed . by a peritoneal, mus- 
cular, and mucous or viscous coat, united by cellular membrane. 
Fig. 66. Fig. 67. 





The Caecum, with its Appendix, 

and Entrance of the Ileum, 

and Ileo-caecal Valve. 



Longitudinal Section of a Portion 
of the Small Intestine. 



It is divided into small and large 
intestines, — the first of which has 

1, caecum; 2, commencement of colon; 3, ., ..... ., , , . 

ileum; 4, aperture of entrance of the ileum three divisions, Severally distin- 

into the large intestine; 5, 5, ileo-caecal valve; guished as the Duodenum, or 

6, aperture of appendix vermiformis caeci; . , -, . . .. . 1 

7, appendix; 8,8, sacoiili of the colon, sepa- twelve-inch intestine, the mem- 
rated hy valvular septa ; 9, falciform framum brane of whose inner surface pre- 

of the appendix. gentg & number of foldg called 

valvule conniventes. This begins at the pylorus or lower surface 
of the stomach ; it bends first backwards, then downwards, and then 
across the body, being partially covered by the peritoneum. It then 



THE ABDOMINAL CAVITY. 



201 



Fig. 68. 



.'. ' '• ' ■. ■. ■■■■;■ ■■ 



-s 






takes the name of Jejunum, so called from its being usually empty 
at this part. It then runs into the remaining portion called the 
Ileum, which takes its name from its mazy folds or convolutions. 
The small intestines open by the 
ileo-colic valve into the large in- 
testines, which have also three 
divisions: first, the caecum, or 
head of the colon, to which is at- 
tached the appendix vermiformis, 
a little blind bag. The colon, 
which constitutes almost the en- 
tire length of the large intestine, 
is termed as it ascends into the 
right lumbar region, the ascend- 
ing colon ; as it crosses the ab- 
domen, the transverse arch of the 






H 

1 



mm 









■Hill 



P&1#Ak 



;"■■':■ 



III 



. 









w8K 









View of the Follicles of the Colon, 
magnified about 115 times. 



Fig. 69. 



colon; and as it descends in the 
left lumbar region, the descend- 
ing colon. In the iliac region it 
forms a double curve, and is thence 
called the sigmoid flexure of the colon, — the fold of the peritoneum 
which inverts it, being termed the iliac meso-colon. 

The termination of the large intestine is the rectum, or end of the 
alimentary canal, — so called because it is nearly in a right line. 
Here the covering called the 
peritoneum ceases, and the 
intestine accommodates it- 
self to the hollow of the 
pelvis, having its external 
opening in the anus, the 
sphincter of which, a strong 
circular muscle, guards it. 
Fig. 60 will serve to render 
more plain what we have 
attempted to describe. 

The whole of the intes- 
tinal canal is a continuous 
tube about six times the 

length of the body, the first view of the Villi and Follicles of the 

three-quarters of it compris- Deum, highly magnified. 




202 



OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 



Fig. 70. 



ing the small, and the last quarter the large intestines. The size 
of the tube of the latter portion is much greater than that of the 
former, — the csecum, the largest of all, being at least three times 
the size of the ileum. 

In the mucous coat of 
the alimentary canal is to 
be found a cribriform tex- 
ture of veins, almost with- 
out an artery. The fine 
venous trunks of a deeper 
layer have their origina- 
ting extremities directed 
vertically toward the cavity 
of the gut, and the meshes 
of the venous intertexture 
exceedingly minute, 




Mesenteric Circulation. 



are 



Fig. 71. 



producing in the colon an 
appearance resembling a plate of metal pierced with round holes 
closely bordering on each other. These holes are the follicles of 
Lieberkuhn, are gaping orifices, the edges of which are rounded off, 

and their depth is that of the 
thickness of the venous anasto- 
mosis. The aggregate number of 
these follicles in the colon, is esti- 
mated at nine millions six hundred 
and twenty thousand. 

The villi (shown in Fig. 69) are 
curved, with their edges bent in, 
or concave; but there is, in the 
whole canal, every variety of shape, 
from oblong, curved, and serpen- 
tine ridges, to the laterally flat- 
tened cone standing on its base. 

Fig. 70 shows a distended intes- 
tine, with its arteries, veins, and 
lymphatics, or lacteals, with three 

glands (5), through which the ab- 
Parotid Gland of a Sheep, exhibiting , -. , . , 

,.-■, , , , , , , z \ v * sorbed matter passes, and m 
the branched and lobulated character r ' 

of the glands of the human stomach, which it IS believed that it is 
and other parts. vitalized. 




DISEASES OF THE ABDOMINAL CAVITY. 207 

Herbal, or Eclectic Treatment for Cholera Morbus. 

No time must be lost in treating the severe stages of this disease. 
Give -the patient copious drinks of whey, warm barley-water, thin 
water-gruel, or weak chicken- broth. Bathe the feet and legs in 
warm saleratus-water, and apply warm fomentations of hops and 
vinegar to the bowels. In addition to these, apply a warm poultice 
of well-stewed garden-mint, or a poultice of mustard and strong 
vinegar will be found of much service. The vomiting and purging 
may be stopped by the following: — 

Ground Black Pepper,. 1 tablespoonful. 

Table Salt, 1 tablespoonful. 

"Warm Water, ^ tumblerful. 

Cider Vinegar, ^ tumblerful. 

Dose, a tablespoonful every few minutes. Stir and mix each time 
until the whole is taken. 

The evacuations, however, should not be stopped till the patient 
feels very weak. Nourishing diet should be taken by the patient. 
A wineglass of cold camomile tea once or twice a day would be very 
beneficial, as would ten drops of elixir of vitriol three or four times 
a day, or a tea made of black or Virginia snake-root. Flannel should 
be worn next the skin, and the warm bath should be frequently 
resorted to. 

COLIC. 

Colic is a name given to several diseases which are characterized 
by severe pain of the bowels, with distension or flatulence, but with- 
out looseness or diarrhoea. Medical men distinguish no fewer than 
seven different kinds of this complaint ; as, 1, Spasmodic, in which 
the principal symptoms are sharp and spasmodic pains about the 
navel ; 2, Stercoraceous, when the pain is accompanied with consti- 
pation of the bowels; 3, Accidental, when occasioned by indiges- 
tible food, or by acrid matter in the intestines ; 4, Bilious, when ac- 
companied with vomiting of bile, or with obstinate costiveness; 
5, Flatulent, when it arises from flatulence in the bowels ; 6, inflam- 
matory, when accompanied with heat and inflammation; 7, Lead, 
Painter's, or Devonshire colic, the dry belly-ache which is attributed 
to the poison of lead. 

Causes. — Among the most frequent causes may be named worms, 
poisonous or unwholesome substances, long undigested food, redun- 



208 OUK FAMILY DOCTOK. 

dancy of vitiated bile, internal gout and rheumatism, intense cold, 
hard or acid fruits or vegetables. 

Symptoms. — The symptoms of colic, in general, are a painful dis- 
tension of the lower region of the belly, with a twisting round of 
the navel, and very commonly vomiting, costiveness, and spasms. 

Painters' Colic. 

Lead or painters' colic is characterized by obstinate costiveness, 
and vomiting of acrid bile ; the pains come on in paroxysms. The 
spasms gradually become more violent, and if not frequently alle- 
viated, the bowels become perfectly intractible. 

Treatment. — Give immediately from thirty to forty drops of lau- 
danum, and apply a hot bath ; afterwards give the following mix- 
ture : sulphate of magnesia, one ounce ; powdered alum, two drachms ; 
tincture of opium, half a drachm ; water, six ounces. Dose, one-fourth 
every four hours. 

For the treatment of paralysis, or palsy arising from the absorp- 
tion of lead, — which is generally confined to the wrists, — use gal- 
vanism, friction, and shampooing, with chalybeate waters. Those 
engaged in the manufacture of lead, or in occupations in which one 
or other of its preparations are frequently handled, may generally 
escape its baneful effects by strict attention to cleanliness. They 
should never take their meals where they work, or with unwashed 
hands. Let them eat fat meat, and butter, and take acidulous 
drinks, especially those rendered so by sulphuric acid. The men 
employed at the Birmingham white lead works have been almost 
free from this disease, to which they were much subject before, since 
they have mixed a little of the above acid with their molasses-beer. 
From the first attack of lead colic patients generally recover; but 
unless they change their occupations, or observe the above precau- 
tions with scrupulous care, the attacks are repeated, each time 
with greater violence, and they will become, eventually, miserable 
cripples. 

"Wind Colio. 

Wind colic is a severe and distressing pain in the bowels, some- 
times a stoppage, and swelling about the pit of the stomach and the 
navel. The complaint may be caused by weakness in the digestive 
organs, by indigestible food, unripe fruit, or costiveness. 

Treatment. — If the pain is caused by having eaten anything indi- 
gestible, an emetic should be immediately taken. If this does not 



DISEASES OF THE ABDOMINAL CAVITY. 203 

THE PANCREAS. 

The pancreas is a single glandular organ, situated transversely 
across the upper part of the abdomen, at the posterior part of the 
epigastric region, about on a level with the last dorsal vertebra. 
I' is of an irregular elongated form, from six to eight inches in 
length, an inch and a half in breadth, and from half an inch to an 
inch thick. The right extremity, or head, is curved upon itself from 
above downwards, and is embraced by the concavity of the duo- 
denum. Its body tapers towards its left extremity, where it forms 
a tail, terminating at the spleen. The pancreatic duct extends 
from left to right through the substance of the pancreas, giving off 
numerc'is branches, L_id terminating in the common choledic duct, 
which conducts its secretions to the duodenum. In structure, the 
pancreas closely resembles the salivary glands, but it is looser and 
softer in texture ; and the fluid secreted is almost identical with 
saliva. Its object is believed to be to reduce fatty matters to 
the state of an emulsion, and thereby promote their absorption by 
the lacteals. The amount daily secreted by man is from five to 
seven ounces, and it is most abundant at the commencement of 
digestion. 

• DISEASES OF THE ABDOMINAL CAYITY. 
ASIATIC CHOLERA. 

The Asiatic, malignant, or pestilential cholera, is a very violent 
form of disease, and first became known in this country in June, 
1832. It commonly comes on without any warning, and the patient 
is frequently a corpse in a few hours. 

Causes. — It depends upon a peculiar condition of the atmos- 
phere, not very well determined. Crowded towns and cities are the 
most liable to its ravages, as are also low and damp situations. It 
may be caused by eating improper food, intoxication, sensual habits, 
or anything that undermines the general health. Fear will also 
cause it. 

Symptoms. — The attack usually begins with sickness and purging ; 
the discharge in this case not being bilious, but a thin, colorless 
fluid, like rice-water, accompanied with great prostration of strength 
and cold clammy sweats. In a short time dreadful cramps assail 
the extremities, and afterwards the abdomen and other parts of the 



206 OUE FAMILY DOCTOR. 

CHOLERA MORBUS. 

This is a disease prevalent in warm weather. From the great 
amount of bile secreted, it is also called Bilious Cholera. 

Causes. — Excessive heat, sudden atmospheric changes, indiges- 
tible food, unripe fruits. Dampness, wet feet, and violent passions 
will also cause it. 

Symptoms. — This disease begins with sickness and distress at the 
stomach, succeeded by violent gripings, with vomiting of thin, dirty 
yellowish, whitish, or greenish fluid, with discharges from the bowels 
similar to that vomited. The nausea and distress continue between 
the vomiting and purging, and the pain at times is intense. The 
pulse is rapid, soon becoming small and feeble, the tongue dry, the 
urine high colored, and there is much thirst, though no drink can 
be retained on the stomach. 

Treatment. — Apply a large mustard poultice over the stomach and 
liver. Give large draughts of warm teas, by which means the sto- 
mach will be cleansed of all its solid contents. Every half hour give 
tablespoonful doses of the compound powder of rhubarb and potassa, 
until the vomiting is checked. Warm injections must be given 
frequently, and hot bricks applied to the feet, while the whole body 
should be swathed in warm flannels. To get up a warmth of the 
body and the stomach is, in fact, the most important thing in this 
disease. Hot brandy, in which is a dose of cayenne, is excellent to 
quiet the vomiting and griping. A few drops of laudanum in the 
injections may be given, if the pain is excessive ; but generally it is 
not needed. 

Either of the following have been found useful : — 

Bicarbonate of Soda, 12 grains. 

Common Salt, . 6 grains. 

Chlorate of Potash, 6 grains. 

Mix, and take in cold water. Or the following: — 

Acetate of Lead, 20 grains. 

Opium, 12 grains. 

Make into twelve pills, and take one every half hour until loose- 
ness ceases. 



DISEASES OF THE ABDOMINAL CAVITY. 209 

bring relief, a dose of salts, or sweet tincture of rhubarb may. If 
there is no sickness at the stomach, a little essence of peppermint 
in water, or brandy, or gin, in hot water, may be sufficient to expel 
the wind and give relief. If there be costiveness, and continued 
pain, a stimulating injection should be given. 

Bilious Colic. 

Bilious colic is a dangerous disease. There is griping, twisting, 
tearing pain about the navel, or sometimes over the whole belly. 

Causes. — It is caused by irritating articles taken into the stom- 
ach, vitiated bile, long exposure to cold, torpid liver and skin, great 
unnatural heat, &c. 

Symptoms. — It comes and goes by paroxysms. Sometimes the 
abdomen is drawn in, at other times swelled out, and stretched like 
a drum-head. At first the pain is relieved by pressure, but after a 
time the belly grows tender to the touch. There is thirst and heat, 
and a discharge of bilious matter from the stomach. In the worst 
cases, the pulse is small, the face pale, the features shrunk, and the 
whole body covered with a cold sweat. 

Treatment. — Administer an active purgative injection imme- 
diately. Give a mixture of pulverized camphor, four grains; cay- 
enne, twelve grains; white sugar, one scruple. This, divided into 
four powders, and given once in fifteen minutes, will relieve the 
pain, — at the same time a mustard-poultice should be laid upon the 
belly. The sickness of stomach may be allayed by hot drafts over 
the stomach, in which are a few drops of laudanum; also on the 
feet. Croton oil, one drop done up in a crumb of bread, will often 
purge successfully; or castor oil and spirits of turpentine, equal 
parts, in two tablespoonful doses, may be used before trying the 
other. A warm bath is good, and bottles filled with hot water, 
placed at the feet and sides, to promote perspiration. 

Herbal, or Eclectic Treatment for Colic. 

A good remedy for bilious colic is the tincture of ground walnut, 
made by stirring walnuts in sufficient diluted alcohol or whiskey to 
cover them. Let the mixture stand eight or ten days. Dose, a 
tablespoonful every half hour until relieved. 

A decoction of equal parts of skull-cap and high cranberry bark, 
to which is added a tablespoonful of the compound tincture of 



210 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

Virginia snake-root has been found very useful. Apply over the 
stomach and bowels hot fomentations of wormwood and boneset, or 
hops, stramonium leaves, or hops and lobelia. 

In flatulent colic the legs should be bathed in warm water, and 
poultices of mustard or hot salt placed over the bowels and stomach. 
The bowels may be opened with a dose of castor oil, and ginger or 
peppermint tea may be drank freely. To ease the pain, from thirty 
to sixty drops of paregoric may be given. In very severe cases, a 
mixture compound of equal parts of laudanum, tincture of camphor, 
and essence of peppermint, in teaspoonful doses, may be given. In 
some cases, a teaspoonful of spirits of turpentine, taken with a tea- 
spoonful of castor oil, has been found to give immediate relief. For 
painters', or lead colic, the following is highly recommended: — 

Sulphate of Magnesia, ^ pound. 

Powdered Alum, 1 ounce. 

Sulphuric Acid, 1^ drachms. 

Boiling Water, 1^ pints. 

Mix. Dose, a tablespoonful in a wineglass of water ; repeat every 
hour until it operates upon the bowels. To prevent the acid from 
injuring the teeth, the solution may be sucked through a quill or a 
glass tube. After the bowels have been freely opened, the medicine 
should be continued for weeks or months in doses sufficient to pro- 
duce one or two passages every twenty-four hours. The sulphuric 
acid, by uniting with the oxide of lead in the system, forms the sul- 
phate of lead, which is a harmless salt. 

The following is recommended to be taken by persons who are 
exposed to the bad influence of lead : — 

Elixir Vitriol, ^ ounce. 

Tincture of Prickly Ash Berries, 1 ounce. 

Dose, a teaspoonful in a gill of water, and repeat three or four 
times a day. 

COSTXVENESS {Constipation). 

An undue retention of the contents of the stomach, in which they 
are unusually hard, and expelled with difficulty and sometimes with 
pain. 

Causes. — Neglecting the usual time in going to stool, extraor 
dinary heat of the body, copious sweats, taking food that is dry, 



DISEASES OF THE ABDOMINAL CAVITY. 211 

heating, and difficult of digestion ; sedentary life, or a diseased state 
of the liver or spleen, sometimes from stricture in the rectum. 

Treatment. — The first thing to be done is to establish the habit 
of trying to evacuate the bowels every day at a certain hour; the 
best time for most people is just after breakfast. It matters not if 
the bowels do not act; the practice of attempting should be per- 
sisted in, and in time it will break up the confined state of the 
bowels. Adopt a diet free from all astringents, taking care espe- 
cially that there is no alum in the bread, and using a coarser kind. 
Let the food consist of a due admixture of meat and vegetables for 
dinner; the beverage water. For breakfast, stale bread or dry 
toast, with a moderate quantity of butter, honey, fish, or bacon; 
cocoa, perhaps, is preferable to tea or coffee; and porridge made 
with Scotch oatmeal, probably better still. Regular exercise, either 
by walking or on horseback, should be taken. Boasted or boiled 
apples, pears, stewed prunes, raisins, gruel with currants, broths 
with spinach, leeks, and other soft pot-herbs, are excellent laxatives. 
If the above mode of living fail to relax the bowels, inject warm 
water by means of an enema. If there be an objection to the use 
of the foregoing, take of castor oil four parts, and of tincture of 
jalap, aloes, or rhubarb, one part; mix, and diligently rub over the 
region of the stomach every morning before rising ; it should be 
done under the bed-clothes, lest the unpleasant odor should sicken 
the stomach. Or take either of the following: — Take from half a 
drachm to a drachm of dilute nitric acid in a cupful of weak ginger 
or dandelion tea, twice or thrice a day. Epsom salts, half an ounce ; 
powdered nitre, one scruple ; infusion of senna, four ounces ; pep- 
permint water, four ounces. Dose, two tablespoonfuls every 
morning. 

Where the bowels are weak, uneasy, torpid, and where there is a 
general sense of coldness, and some aperient is absolutely required, 
have recourse to the following:— 

Tincture of Khubarb, 2 drachms. 

Tincture of Senna, 2 drachms. 

Potash Water, or Sal Volatile, ^ drachm. 

Mix in a wineglassful of camomile tea, and take it every day at 
noon, or an hour before dinner, gradually reducing the dose, or 
leaving it off by degrees. The habitual use of purgative medicines 
is very injurious, and increase the evil they are intended to cure. 



1 . ._. . 



212 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

CRAMP, OR SPASM IN THE STOMACH. 

A violent pain, but generally of short duration. 

Treatment. — Give a strong purgative injection. The sweet tinc- 
ture of rhubarb and soda, four ounces of the first to two drachms 
of the last, with a few drops of cayenne-tincture mixed with it, will 
often give relief. Dose, from a teaspoonful to a tablespoonful. A 
mustard poultice on the stomach is very good. Drink copious 
draughts of hot water, brandy and water, ether, or laudanum ; apply 
hot flannels moistened with compound camphor liniment and tur- 
pentine ; bathe the feet in warm water, or apply mustard poultices 
to them. 

DIARRHCEA. 

Causes. — The causes which produce diarrhoea are — bad and in- 
digestible food, or food taken in too great quantities; acid fruits, 
or oily and putrid substances taken into the stomach; the abuse of 
active purgative medicines, the application of cold to the body, the 
suppression of perspiration, long- continued heat of the atmosphere, 
a transfer of gout or rheumatism to the intestines, and depressing 
passions of the mind. 

Symptoms. — This disease consists in a copious and frequent dis- 
charge of feculent matter from the bowels, accompanied by griping. 
There is a sense of weight and fullness in the lower part of the 
stomach, attended with a murmuring noise, arising from the presence 
of a great collection of wind. This feeling is relieved after every 
evacuation which takes place, and is again renewed before a second 
ensues. In addition to these symptoms, the patient is troubled with 
nausea, sickness, vomiting, and, if the purging be not quickly 
arrested, by great exhaustion and depression of the vital powers, 
accompanied by spasm and cramp. It is distinguished from dysen- 
tery by the absence of fever, inflammation, contagion, and straining 
at stool, and also by the absence of blood in the motions. The ap- 
pearance of the motions in the commencement of the disease is 
sometimes thinner than natural, in consequence of a large quantity 
of fluid being poured out by the intestines. They are sometimes 
slimy and of a green color ; sometimes they are yellow, and some- 
times of a dark brown, accompanied by a very fetid smell. As the 
disease advances the motions become very watery, and similar to 
coffee grounds ; the strength rapidly fails, the countenance turns 



DISEASES OF THE ABDOMINAL CAVITY. 213 

pale, the skin is dry and stiff, great emaciation takes place, and 
dropsy frequently ensues. 

Treatment. — In the treatment of this disease, attention must be 
paid to the cause which produces it, and the remedies administered 
accordingly. If it arise from repletion of the stomach, or from in- 
digestible food, a gentle emetic of ipecacuanha should be given (say 
twenty grains). This should be followed by an aperient, to clear 
out any offensive matter that may remain in the intestines. The 
following will be a good draught : — 

Powdered Ehubarb, 1 scruple. 

Cinnamon Water, l£ ounces. 

Compound Spirit of Lavender, 2 drachms. 

Make a draught to be given at bed-time. 

Should the motions be scanty and frequent, and accompanied by 
some degree of bearing down, four or six drachms of castor oil, with 
five drops of tincture of opium, will afford great relief. This treat- 
ment will also suit in cases where oily and putrid substances have 
been taken into the stomach. If it arise from the abuse of purgative 
medicines, they must be discontinued, and the following mixture 
administered : — 

Tincture of Khubarb, 1 ounce. 

Tincture of Opium, 30 drops. 

Spirit of Lavender, 4 drachms. 

Cinnamon Water, 5 ounces. 

Make a mixture, and take two tablespoonfuls every four or six 
hours. 

If it has proceeded from the application of cold to the surface of 
the body, or the suppression of perspiration, every effort must be 
made to restore the secretion by the administration of medicines 
which determine to the skin, such as James's or Dover's powder: 
five grains of the former, or ten of the latter, will be sufficient for a 
dose, which may be taken in a little gruel or arrow-root. The pa- 
tient should immerse his feet in warm water every night ; and should 
the looseness continue, he may take the following powder three 
times a day: — 

Dover's Powder, 3 grains. 

Mercury with Chalk, or Grey Powder, 2 grains. 

Mix. When it arises from acidity in the stomach, which is known 
by frequent eructations of air diffusing a hot and disagreeable sen- 



214 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

sation in the mouth, griping pains in the belly, accompanied by 
motions of a clay color, which produce a burning sensation at the 
rectum in passing through, absorbents with opium must be em- 
ployed. The following will be a good form of mixture : — 

■• 
Prepared Chalk, 3 drachms. 

Spirit of Lavender, 2 drachms. 

Compound Tincture of Cardamoms, 2 drachms. 

Tincture of Opium, ^ drachm. 

Cinnamon Water, 6 ounces. 

Make a mixture, and take two tablespoonfuls every three or four 
hours until the relaxation ceases. 

Should it arise from a transfer of the gout or rheumatism, fomen- 
tations of hot water, mustard plasters, or blisters, should be applied 
over the bowels; the patient's feet should be immersed in hot water, 
and ten grains of Dover's powder administered to produce perspira- 
tion. At the same time he should drink plentifully of weak brandy 
and water, or wine whey. 

Should it arise from the presence of worms, which is recognized 
by the slimy motions, and the presence of the worms themselves, 
either in a living or dead state, the remedies recommended among 
the prescriptions for their expulsion should be had recourse to. 

When it arises from ulceration of the intestines, as often happens 
in consumption and other protracted diseases, the most effectual 
astringents, in addition to what has been already recommended, 
should be employed, — such as catechu, kino, alum, logwood, tannin, 
white and blue vitriol. The following is a good mixture in these 
cases : — 

Chalk Mixture, 5 ounces. 

Tincture of Catechu, 4 drachms. 

Tincture of Kino, 3 drachms. 

Syrup of Poppies, 2 drachms. 

Tincture of Opium, 30 drops. 

Make a mixture, and take two tablespoonfuls three or four times 
a day. 

The diet in these cases should consist of sago, arrow-root, and 
rice-puddings made with or without milk, or they may be given in 
a liquid form ; all solid food should for a time be suspended. It 
will be necessary for those persons who are subject to frequent 
attacks of this complaint, either from a peculiar weakness or irrita- 



DISEASES OF THE ABDOMINAL CAVITY. 215 

bility of the bowels, to live temperately, to avoid all acid fruits, 
most kinds of vegetables, unwholesome food, and meats of hard 
digestion. 

Hekbal, or Eclectic Treatment for Diarrhcea. 

If caused by cold or obstructed perspiration, keep the patient 
warm ; drink freely of weak diluting drinks ; use the tepid bath, and 
wear flannel next the skin. A little snake-root tea will also be found 
useful. If there is much griping, a hot fomentation of garden mint 
should be applied to the stomach. Speedy relief has been effected 
by taking twelve drops of laudanum in half a gill of the best brandy. 
Repeat, if necessary, in about an hour. When diarrhcea is caused 
by excessive repletion, give an emetic composed of half a drachm of 
ipecacuanha; work it off with warm water or thin gruel. If, after 
a day or two, the looseness continues, give half a drachm of rhubarb 
once or twice a day. 

In obstinate cases, the jelly of slippery elm and blackberry, in 
equal parts, mixed with a little powdered ginger or cinnamon, may 
be used. For chronic looseness, the following decoction is very 
good : — 

Bistort root, bruised, three ounces ; water, one quart. Boil 
twenty minutes; then add cloves, bruised, one ounce; cranesbill 
and wild mint, of each half an ounce ; catechu, two drachms. Boil 
ten minutes longer, strain, add loaf sugar, one pound. Dose, three 
tablespoonfuls three or four times a day. 

The following has also been used with excellent results : — 

Take equal parts of tincture of rhubarb, spirits of camphor, essence 
of peppermint, and laudanum. Dose for an adult, one teaspoonful 
every hour, if necessary ; less according to age of the patient and 
severity of the disease. 

DYSENTERY. 

A disease accompanied by frequent and scanty motions, and great 
bearing down of the rectum. Stools, mucous or bloody, slimy, and 
containing little or no foecal matter. 

Causes. — The causes which produce this disease are — a cold 
and moist state of the atmosphere, quickly succeeded by heat; the 
suppression of the perspiration, whereby the blood is thrown from 
the external upon the internal vessels ; immoderate use of spirituous 



216 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

liquors, unwholesome food, exposure to noxious exhalations, or to 
the effluvia arising from the bodies of persons laboring under the 
disease. 

It is supposed that dysentery, when it proves infectious, is owing 
to the impure and vitiated condition of the atmosphere ; hence % it 
frequently appears in hospitals which are not properly ventilated, 
and other places where a number of sick persons are crowded to- 
gether ; while in situations where great attention is paid to venti- 
lation and cleanliness, it seldom extends beyond the individual in 
whom it originates. It prevails epidemically, affecting numbers in 
a community, without being contagious. 

Symptoms. — This disease is ushered in by all the concomitants of 
inflammatory fever — such as cold shivering succeeded by heat of 
skin, frequency of pulse, loss of appetite, sickness, and costiveness. 
This stage is quickly followed by severe griping pains, and pain on 
pressing the belly, frequent desire to go to stool, accompanied by 
great straining and painful bearing down of the rectum — the evac- 
uations consisting of a peculiarly fetid matter, without containing 
any particle of healthy motion. These evacuations frequently vary 
in their appearance, being sometimes pure mucus, or mucus streaked 
with blood ; sometimes pure blood is passed, at other times pure 
matter, and it not unfrequently happens that pieces of membrane, 
arising from ulceration of the lining of the intestines, are seen float- 
ing in the dejetions. It is seldom that any natural feces appear in 
the course of this disease, but when they do, they are passed in 
hard, small balls, accompanied by great relief of the griping and 
bearing down. 

Favorable Symptons. — A gentle perspiration over the surface of 
the body, the stools improving in color, and becoming less frequent; 
a sediment in the urine, and the strength little impaired. 

Unfavorable Symptoms. — The tenesmus or bearing down of the 
gut becoming very intense, the inclination to go to stool more fre- 
quent, the discharge from the bowels being very scanty and of an 
unnatural color ; much depression of the powers of life, a tense state 
of the belly, cold, clammy perspirations, ulceration of the mouth 
and throat, a feeble pulse, and coldness of the surface of the body. 

Treatment. — If the fever be of an inflammatory character, accom- 
panied with rigors and succeeded by heats and flushes, an emetic 
should be administered at once (say twenty grains of ipecacuanha 
and one of tartar emetic). This should be followed by a dose of 



DISEASES OF THE ABDOMINAL CAVITY. 217 

castor oil, or some saline aperient, which should be repeated every 
second or third morning, so that evacuations of a natural character 
might be procured. The following is a good mixture for this pur- 
pose : — 

Epsom Salts, .'...1 ounce. 

Best Manna, \ ounce. 

Peppermint Water, 5 ounces. 

Tincture of Bhubarb, 2 drams. 

Mix. Four tablespoonfuls to be taken every second or third 
morning. 

Should there be much pain on pressing the belly, leeches, in 
numbers according to the age and strength of the patient, should 
be applied, which should be followed by fomentations of the decoc- 
tion of poppy heads and camomile flowers. The purgatives al- 
ready recommended should be continued every second morning, 
and in the interval small doses of Dover's powder and calomel 
should be given every four or six hours. With the object of re- 
lieving pain and producing perspiration, five grains of Dover's pow- 
der and one of calomel will form a sufficient dose, which should be 
continued until the pain and irritation be tranquilized, or the mouth 
becomes tender. These remedies should be followed by mustard 
plasters, or blisters, to the stomach, which have the power of reliev- 
ing pain and stopping the violent sickness which frequently takes 
place in this disease. Relief will also be found from the application 
of soothing liniments over the abdomen, such as the following : — 

Camphorated Oil, 1 ounce. 

Tincture of Opium, \ ounce. 

The belly to be rubbed with this oil several times a day. Cam- 
phorated oil is made by dissolving half an ounce of camphor in two 
ounces of sweet oil. 

In order to relieve the tenesmus or bearing down, injections con- 
sisting of starch, or mutton broth, and tincture of opium, say half a 
dram, or even a dram, should be thrown into the rectum ; or, 
should these not be retained, or fail to afford relief, two grains of 
opium, made soft with a little oil or conserve of roses, introduced 
into the rectum, will be found very serviceable. In employing the 
injection, a small quantity of fluid should be used, say not more 
than two ounces, as more in quantity will not be retained ; and in 



218 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

introducing the opium, care should be taken to put it beyond the 
sphincter muscle, at least two inches from the verge of the anus. 
The bowels should be kept open with castor oil combined with small 
doses of laudanum, say half an ounce of the former, and ten drops 
of the latter. In the advanced stage of this disease, great benefit 
will be derived from the following mixture : 

Diluted Nitric Acid, 2 drams. 

Laudanum, 1^ drams. 

Distilled Water, 14 drataas. 

Mix. A teaspoonful to be taken four times a day in a cup of 
barley water. 

When there is acidity in the stomach, absorbents combined with 
opium will be required, such as chalk, kino, catechu, and logwood. 
The patient should at the same time drink port wine and water with 
his meals ; as a common drink, equal parts of lime -water and milk 
have been highly recommended. 

In those cases where the motions are passed frequently, from a 
weakened state of the bowels, the greatest benefit will be derived 
from the sulphate of zinc, alum, sugar of lead, and blue vitriol, in 
combination with opium. In a more advanced state of the disease, 
vegetable tonics should be administered for the purpose of giving 
tone to the muscular coat of the intestines, and of improving the 
health generally. The following is an excellent mixture for this 
purpose : 

Infusion of Cascarilla,. 5 ounces. 

Tincture of Colombo, 1 ounce. 

Tincture of Catechu, 2 drams. 

Diluted Nitric Acid, 1 dram. 

Mix. Three tablespoonfuls three times a day. 

In those cases where there is a tenderness over the region of the 
liver, and a dusky, sallow appearance of the countenance, and the 
motions are of a clayey color, a grain of calomel, with one quarter 
of a grain of opium, may be given twice or three times a day, with 
great advantage, which should be continued until all bad symptoms 
give way, or until the mouth becomes tender. 

The patient should live, at the commencement of the disease, on 
preparations of barley, rice, sago, flour, tapioca, and Indian arrow- 
root boiled in milk, and broths occasionally should be allowed. The 
juice of meat is preferable to broths or soups, which often sour on 



DISEASES OF THE ABDOMINAL CAVITY. 219 

the stomach ; this may be obtained by chewing the meat, and re- 
jecting all except the juice. He should avoid all spirituous and 
fermented liquors, and food of all descriptions which have a ten- 
dency to putrefaction. During his convalescence or recovery, meat 
of the lighter kinds, such as mutton, chicken, or beef, may be used, 
and he should drink port wine and water or brandy and water at 
his meals. 

As dysentery is considered by most physicians to be contagious, 
the greatest care should be taken to secure a good ventilation, par- 
ticularly where persons are crowded together, as on board ship or 
in hospitals. The sick should be immediately removed from the 
healthy ; they should be placed in separate rooms, if possible ; their 
motions should be taken away as soon as passed, the body linen and 
sheets frequently changed, and the rooms fumigated with the solu- 
tion of chloride of lime or boiling vinegar. The following is a cheap 
and easy method of fumigating, for the purpose of destroying con- 
tagion arising from dysentery, small pox, typhus fever, or any other 
infectious disease : 

Peroxide of Manganese, 2 parts. 

Common Salt, 4 parts. 

Oil of Vitriol, 3 parts. 

Water, 1 part. 

This mixture should be placed in an earthenware vessel, and al- 
lowed to remain in the room until all vapors cease to rise. A great- 
er quantity of this vapor, which is chlorine gas, may be obtained by 
putting the same mixture in an oil-flask and applying heat. Of 
course this method of fumigating cannot be resorted to until the 
patients are removed from the rooms or places about to be fumi- 
gated, as the vapor cannot be breathed without producing great ir- 
ritation of the lungs ; and when existing in any great quantity in 
the atmosphere is fatal to life. 

Herbal, or Eclectic Treatment for Dysentery. 

An emetic composed of half a dram of ipecac "in powder, must be 
given ; work off with weak camomile tea. After which take one 
ounce of Epsom salts, half an ounce of manna, and two and a half 
ounces of warm water, and the same of peppermint water. Dose : 
four tablespoonfuls three or four times a day. The following has 
been found very beneficial : 



220 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

Take one tablespoonful of common salt and mix it with two ta- 
blespoonfuls of vinegar, and pour upon it a half pint of water, either 
hot or cold, only let it be taken cold. A wineglassful of this mix- 
ture in the above proportions, taken every half hour, will be found 
quite efficacious in curing dysentery. If the stomach be nauseated, 
a wineglassful taken every hour will suffice. For a child, the quan- 
tity should be a teaspoonful of salt and one of vinegar in a teacupful 
of water. 

Blackberries are extremely useful in cases of dysentery ; to eat 
the berries is very healthy. Tea made of the roots and leaves is 
very beneficial ; and a syrup made of the berries is still better. The 
following is also very useful : 

Bistort root, tormentil root, ginger root, each (sliced and bruised) 
one ounce ; green peppermint and wood sage, of each one ounce ; 
Turkey rhubarb and gum myrrh, of each half an ounce ; cinnamon, 
two drams ; water, two quarts. Boil down to three pints ; strain. 
Pour the boiling liquor on to loaf sugar, half a pound ; bicarbonate 
of potash, half an ounce. Then add tincture of myrrh, one ounce ; 
spirit of camphor, two drams ; oil of peppermint, twenty drops 
(put those together before adding to the liquor). Dose : a wine- 
glassful every fifteen minutes until relief is got. 

DYSPEPSIA {Indigestion). 

This is one of the most common ailments to which mankind is 
subject, there being few individuals who have not experienced it 
oftener than once in their lives. 

Causes. — Accidental fits of indigestion are of frequent occur- 
rence, and arise for the most part from overloading the stomach with 
food, and indulging freely in wine, spirits, or other intoxicating liquors. 
Confirmed or chronic indigestion may depend on debility or want 
of tone of the stomach, or it may be caused by the lining or mucous 
membrane of this organ being in a state of irritation or chronic in- 
flammation One of the most frequent causes of indigestion is not 
masticating the food we eat properly, by which such food is bolted, 
instead of being reduced to a natural pulp, thereby presenting* to 
the digestive organs a hardened mass, which it has the greatest 
difficulty to operate upon. Another cause is habitual inattention to 
diet, both as regards the quality and quantity of food, irregularity 
in the times of eating, drinking large quantities of warm, relaxing 
fluids, and using malt liquors too freely. A third cause is insufficient 



DISEASES OF THE ABDOMINAL CAVITY. 221 

exercise ; a fourth cause, impure air ; and, beside these, there are 
numberless other causes, which in a greater or less degree exercise 
their baneful influence upon this vital and all-important function of 
our natures. 

Symptoms. — One of the most frequent signs of indigestion is a loss 
of appetite, no desire for food, or, perhaps, even an absolute repug- 
nance and disgust at the very thought of eating. Sometimes the 
appetite is capricious and uncertain, or may even be morbidly crav- 
ing and ravenous. Sometimes nausea comes on immediately after 
the food is swallowed ; and sometimes without any nausea, but af- 
ter the lapse of some time, the food is ejected by vomiting. There 
is also usually an obscure feeling of uneasiness, fullness, distension, 
and weight in the region of the stomach, occasionally amounting to 
pain, or even severe pain, with flatulence and eructation. Some 
persons suffer pain when the stomach is empty, others immediately 
after taking food, or the pain may not begin for two or three hours 
after a meal, and then continue for some hours. Sometimes the 
pain comes on at uncertain intervals in the most violent paroxysms, 
accompanied by a sensation of distension, much anxiety, and extreme 
restlessness. Costiveness is a very frequent concomitant of dyspep- 
sia, but sometimes it is attended with diarrhea. Among the innu- 
merable disorders in more distant parts that are produced by dys- 
pepsia are palpitations of the heart, irregularities of the pulse, 
asthma, pain in the head, with the loss of mental energy, and some 
confusion of thought. One of the worst of the occasional concom- 
itants of dyspepsia is that state of mind which is known as hypo- 
chondriasis. There is languor, listlessness, or want of resolution, 
with an apprehension of some great evil in the future. Such per- 
sons are particularly attentive to the state of their own health, and, 
from any unusual feeling, perhaps of the slightest kind, they ap- 
prehend great danger, or even death itself. 

Treatment. — Before we proceed to give the remedies applicable 
to this disorder, we will lay before our readers what is of equal con- 
sequence, both as regards prevention and cure — namely, diet and 
regimen. Rise early ; sponge the body freely with cold water ; 
breakfast without taking previous exercise, except a saunter in the 
garden. At breakfast, drink no more than half a pint of tea, neither 
too strong nor too weak, and black tea in preference to any other. 
Eat a slice or two of stale bread, together with a thin rasher of 
streaky bacon. After a short rest, exercise should then be taken 



222 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

for two hours or upwards. The dinner hour should be not later 
than four or five hours after breakfast, and the best time in the day 
for this meal is one or two o'clock. The food should be plain, with- 
out sauces. Roast mutton is the best of all meats, both as regards 
its nourishing properties and the ease with which it can be digested. 
For drink water, or toast and water are preferable. After dinner, 
rest and quiet for an hour are desirable. About four or five hours 
after dinner, a cup of tea with a biscuit, or bread and butter, with 
fresh or preserved fruit. To bed between ten and eleven o'clock. 
This mode of living will generally render a person exempt from 
habitual indigestion; nevertheless, in spite of these precautions, 
occasional attacks of this derangement will make themselves felt, 
when either of the following may be taken : — 

Bay Berries, 6 drams. 

Grains of Paradise, 2 drams. 

Socotrine Aloes, and Filings of Iron, of each, 2 scruples. 

Oil of Turpentine, 2 drams. 

Simple Syrup, sufficient for an electuary. 

Take a piece the size of a nutmeg night and morning. 

Rhubarb, ...15 grains. 

Sulphate of Potass, 30 grains. 

Tincture of Senna, , £ a dram. 

Peppermint Water, l£ ounces. 

Mix, and take twice a week until relief is afforded. 

Columba Root in powder,.... 8 grains. 

Rhubarb, 10 grains. 

Ginger, 2 grains. 

Ipecacuanha, 3 grains. 

Carbonate of Potass, 5 grains. 

Dill Water, l£ ounces. 

Mix for a draught, and take twice a day on an empty stomach. 

Infusion of Gentian, 12 drams. 

Epsom Salts, 3 drams. 

Tincture of Cascarilla, 1 dram. 

Tincture of Orange Peel, 1 dram. 

Mix for a draught, which may be taken in the morning on rising, 
and repeated in six hours. 



DISEASES OF THE ABDOMINAL CAVITY. 223 

Quicklime, slaked with a little water, £ ounce. 

Water, 1^ pints. 

Bruised Cinchona Bark, 1 ounce. 

Cover and macerate for three hours, occasionally stirring them ; 
decant the clear liquor, and add the following : — 

Tincture of Bark, 2 ounces. 

Nitric Ether, 3 drams. 

Syrup of Orange Peel, 1 ounce. 

Mix, and keep closely corked. Dose, one wineglassful. 

HEARTBURN. 

What is commonly called heartburn is not a disease of the heart, 
but an uneasy sensation of heat or acrimony about the pit of the 
stomach, accompanied sometimes by a rising in the throat like 
water. 

Causes. — Debility of the stomach; the food, instead of being 
properly digested and turned into chyle, runs into fermentation, 
producing acetic acid; sometimes the gastric juice itself turns acid, 
and causes it ; at other times, it arises from bilious humors in the 
stomach. 

Treatment. — Either of the following may be used : — One teaspoon- 
ful of the spirit of nitrous ether, in a glass of water or a cup of tea. 
Or this : — A large teaspoonful of magnesia, taken in a cup of tea, or 
a glass of mint-water. 

INFLAMMATION OF THE LIVER. 

This disease is known by a painful tension of the right side under 
the ribs, attended with some degree of fever, a sense of weight or 
fullness of the part, difficulty of breathing, loathing of food, great 
thirst, with a pale or yellowish color of the skin and eyes. 

Treatment. — Take care to avoid stimulating food and drinks; 
partake freely of barley-water or linseed-tea. Keep the body and 
mind easy and quiet as much as possible. Let the bowels be gently 
opened; a decoction of tamarinds, with a little honey or manna, will 
answer this purpose very well. Foment the side affected by means 
of flannels wrung out in hot water. If the pain be very violent, 



224 OUR FAMILY* DOCTOR. 

apply a blister. Take three or four times a day in the beverage 
ordinarily drank a teaspoonful of the spirit of nitric ether. When 
there is an inclination to perspire, let it be promoted by copious 
draughts of warm diluting liquors. If the disorder, in spite of all 
endeavors, should continue obstinate, the greatest attention must 
be paid to the diet, avoiding fish, flesh, and salted and seasoned 
foods. The patient should live for the most part on vegetables and 
fruits, and drink whey, barley-water, or buttermilk. Gentle exercise 
must also be taken. 

INFLAMMATION OF THE SPLEEN 

is often the result of chills and fever, and is very difficult and stub- 
born to cure. 

Symptoms. — A feeling of tightness and pain in the left side — the 
pain being increased on pressure, or by lying upon the left side. 
Sometimes the organ enlarges, so as to be felt by the hand. There 
is sometimes numbness, weakness of the legs, palpitation of the 
heart, difficulty of breathing, inability to exercise much, obstinate 
constipation, vomiting of food, piles, dry skin, tongue coated white 
or red, low spirits, and occasionally dropsical affections. 

Treatment. — Treatment should be about the same as in inflam- 
mation of the liver. After the active inflammation is subdued, the 
warm bath may be used once or twice a week. In the chronic form 
of the disease, counter-irritation with the compound tar-plaster, 
with mustard poultices, croton oil, or tincture of iodine, will be par- 
ticularly needed. Keep the bowels open, and, if the patient is pale 
and bloodless, give iron as a tonic. 

INFLAMMATION OF THE STOMACH— ( Gastritis). 

It is known by pain in the epigastric region, increased, when any- 
thing is taken into the stomach, together with vomiting and hic- 
cough ; the pulse small and hard ; and general prostration of 
strength, attended by fever and anxiety. It is produced by poisons 
of various kinds taken into the stomach, as arsenic or corrosive 
sublimate ; by food of an improper nature ; by draughts of any 
cold liquid when the body is much heated. 

Treatment. — In the treatment of this disease bleeding is now 
generally disapproved of, except perhaps in very extreme cases. 



THE ABDOMINAL CAYITT. 



225 



Warm fomentations to the region of the stomach, or the hot bath, 
should be had recourse to, and much relief will often be experienced 
from the sucking of ice. Mucilaginous drinks, barley-water, or 
gruel will be of service, particularly when occasioned by the pres- 
ence of acrid substances, in aiding their evacuation and protecting 
the stomach. Enemata are a class of medicines that are of much 
use, by acting upon the system without coming in contact with the 
stomach. In most cases a purgative enema should first be given, 
and afterward such as are nutritious. 

GALL STONES. 



Gall stones are calculous concretions, sometimes formed in the 
bladder, from the peculiar crystalline ingredient of the bile termed 
Chloresterine ; they vary greatly in size, some being smaller than a 
pea, and some as large as a walnut ; they often remain in the blad- 
der without causing any uneasiness ; but, when one of any consid- 
erable size passes into the duct, it gives rise to violent spasmodic 
pains, which cease only when the stone has effected its passage into 
the bowels. The gall duct is, in calibre, no larger than an ordinary 
goose quill, and therefore this operation is often a difficult and pro- 
tracted one ; its symptoms are agonizing pain in the region of the 
46 bladder, often accompanied by shivering and vomiting ; when the 
obstruction has passed into the common duct, and so stopped the 
flow of bile from the liver, there will be jaundice, with white and 
chalky evacuations. When there are these symptoms, with absence 
of pain on pressure, and no fever, we may safely conclude that in- 
flammation is not the exciting cause, but gall stones ; their presence 
in the feces may be easily detected, as they float upon water. 

Treatment. — The proper treatment in an attack of this kind is 
hot applications over the seat of pain, or a warm bath. A draught 
should at once be given of laudanum, a full dose of thirty drops, 
following it up with twenty drops every half hour or so, until the 
severe pain is relieved ; if the patient retches much, and liquids 
cannot be retained, pills of solid opium, one grain each, had better 
be administered. There is commonly great acidity of the stomach 
while gall stones are passing ; hence an alkaline draught is of serv- 
ice, say half a teaspoonful of carbonate of soda in a good quantity 
of warm water ; the laudanum may be added to this. Should the 
stomach reject these remedies, the anodyne must be administered in 



226 OUE FAMILY DOCTOR. 

a clyster, of about forty drops of laudanum in a pint of thin gruel. 
Hot bran poultices, sprinkled with laudanum, may be applied to the 
seat of pain. 

The following is a good solvent mixture where gall stones are 
known to be present : Castile soap, two drams — melt by heat in half 
a pint of water ; add spirits of turpentine and ether, of each two 
drams ; take a tablespoonful three times a day. 

ACUTE INFLAMMATION OF THE BOWELS. 

This is an inflammation of the mucous membrane which lines 
them, as it is generally understood, but really involves more or less 
the whole substance of the bowel. 

Symptoms. — The disease begins with a chill, and with uneasiness 
and slight griping pains, which increase in severity until they are 
intense and burning. Pressure aggravates the pain, which is great- 
est about the navel, but extends over the whole bowel. There is 
sickness at the stomach, and sometimes vomiting ; loss of strength, 
costiveness, great anxiety, thirst, heat, and fever ; dry, furred, and 
red tongue, and but little urine, with pain in passing it. The mat- 
ters passed from the bowels are dark and fetid, and the whole belly 
is sore to the touch. The pulse is quick, hard, and small. If the 
stomach sympathizes but little with the disease, it indicates the seat 
of it to be in the lower portion of the bowels. The length of time, 
also, before drink and medicine are vomited up after being swal- 
lowed, is a pretty sure indication of the distance of the disease from 
the stomach. To discriminate this disease from colic, it is necessary 
to know that pressure produces pain, which it does not in colic ; the 
pain never wholly ceases, as it does in colic ; the knees are drawn 
up and the breathing short, or altered, as they are not in colic. 

Treatment. — Hot fomentations, mustard-poultices, soothing and 
quieting injections, cooling drinks, such as slippery elm, flaxseed- 
tea, etc., with tincture of veratrum viride in full doses, or ten drops 
every hour, to keep up a free perspiration, will generally be all that 
is necessary. 

If the disease has been occasioned by the strangulation of a gut, 
or by hernia, it is very unmanageable. The gut may be disen- 
tangled by applying a large dry cup, or, what is better, a number of 
small ones, but the tenderness of the belly makes this difficult. 



DISEASES OF THE ABDOMINAL CAYITY. 227 



CHRONIC INFLAMMATION OF THE BOWELS. 

The signs of this disease are a dull pain in the belly, the tongue 
bordered with red, abdomen either swelled or flat, skin dry and 
husky, cold extremities ; small, frequent pulse ; thirst, loss of flesh, 
low spirits, scanty urine, slimy discharges from the bowels from one 
to four times a day. 

Treatment. — The treatment commences with mustard poultices 
and hot fomentations. Cold compresses at night — the body well 
covered up in flannel — should be used if the bowels are very fever- 
ish, and the warm bath twice a week, taking care not to get cold. 
The diet must be very simple and unstimulating — beginning with 
gum water, rice or barley water, sago or arrowroot gruel, and grad- 
ually raising it to chicken broth, beef tea, or tender beefsteak. 
Gentle carriage exercise, as soon as the patient is able, will prove 
beneficial. A very mild laxative should be given on the inflamma- 
tion being subdued. 

INFLAMMATION OF THE PERITONEUM. 

Peritonitis is an exceedingly painful and dangerous disease, from 
its extent and connection with important organs. It may exist 
either as an acute or chronic disease. 

Causes. — Its causes are various, as cold, mechanical injuries of 
the peritoneum, the development of tumors, etc. Women in child- 
bed are peculiarly liable to it. After the disease has continued for 
a certain time, it is attended with tension and swelling of the belly, 
and if not checked it usually terminates in from five to ten days. 

Symptoms. — There is usually great pain and tenderness of the ab- 
domen, accompanied with fever, and a frequent, small, hard pulse. 
Sometimes, at first, the pain is confined to one spot ; but it gener- 
ally soon extends over the whole of the abdomen. It is very se- 
vere, and much increased by any motion, even coughing, sneezing, 
or drawing a long breath. Even the weight of the bedclothes is 
sometimes unbearable. It is acute and cutting, and sometimes oc 
curs in paroxysms ; and the patient usually lies on his back with his 
knees drawn up. The bowels are usually constipated, but some 
times the reverse ; and commonly there are present nausea, vomit- 
ing, and hiccough. 



228 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

Treatment. — The treatment consists in the application of warm 
fomentations to the abdomen, together with blister or leeches, if 
necessary. General bleeding is sometimes recommended, but this 
can only be adopted or of service when the patient is strong and of 
full habit. As internal remedies, most reliance is usually placed 
upon mercury and opium. After a time, peritonitis sometimes as- 
sumes a chronic form. Here the symptoms are less marked. The 
pain is slight, or only discoverable on pressure, and the fever low ; 
but the skin is hot and dry, the tongue foul, and appetite impaired. 
The treatment is local bleedings, with blisters and other counter ir- 
ritants applied over the abdomen. A nourishing but unstimulating 
diet, and attention to the state of the bowels, are likewise neces- 
sary ; and some recommend iodine, either taken internally or ap- 
plied as ointment to the part. 

JAUNDICE. 

A disease arising from obstruction to the passage of the bile into 
the intestines, from disorders of the liver. 

Treatment. — The diet should be cool, light, and diluting — con- 
sisting chiefly of ripe fruit and mild vegetables ; the drink, barley 
water or linseed tea, sweetened with licorice*; the bowels must be 
kept gently open. When the disease has abated, constant doses of 
Peruvian bark should be given, with good port wine ; plenty of ex- 
ercise taken, and a mustard poultice occasionally placed over the 
liver. The following has been of great benefit : Remain in a warm 
bath, of one hundred degrees, for twenty minutes. Take, every 
other night, five grains of blue pill, and five grains of compound 
aloe pill on those nights when the blue pill is not ordered. In ad- 
dition, take twenty drops of elixir of vitriol, in a wineglassful of 
infusion of gentian, twice a day. Or take either of these : 

Castile Soap, 1 ounce. 

Oil of Juniper, 30 drops. 

Mix well together, and divide the mass into ninety-six pills, two 
to be taken twice a day. 

Hard Soap, 4 drams. 

Compound Powder of Cinnamon, 1 dram. 

Rhubarb, 2 drams. 

Oil of Juniper, 16 drops. 

Syrup of Ginger, sufficient. 

Form the whole into one hundred pills, of which three are to be 
taken morning and evening. 



DISEASES OF THE ABDOMINAL CAVITY. 229 



Hekbal, or Eclectic Treatment 

As the stomach is usually disordered, it is well to give an emetic, 
and after it has acted freely administer a gentle purge. Should 
there be coldness about the feet or body, use the hot bath, or bathe 
the whole body with hot vinegar and water. A decoction made of 
dandelion and barberry root may be drank freely. If these do not 
give immediate relief, take the following : 

Golden seal and capsicum, of each 1 dram ; bitter root and white 
poplar bark, of each 2 drams; cover with boiling water. "When 
cool, add half a pint of Holland gin. Dose : a wineglass three 
times a day. 

A strong tea of peach-tree leaves, about half a pint taken daily ; 
or from ten to forty drops of the tincture of blood root, taken three 
times a day, either in water or herb tea, have been highly recom- 
mended. 

MILK SICKNESS. 

A disease chiefly confined to the West, where the cattle roam 
about at large in woods or over prairies. The plant the eating of 
which causes the milk to be poisonous is not known. 

Symptoms. — Sickness at the stomach, weakness and trembling of 
the legs. There is vomiting, and a peculiarly offensive breath. 
These symptoms continue for weeks, and are often all that are 
shown in this complaint ; but in some severer cases there are chills 
and flashes of heat, great oppression about the heart, anxiety, deep 
breathing, heat in the stomach, violent retching and vomiting, 
alarming beatings of the heart, and throbbing of the large vessels, 
and cold extremities. In most cases, the vomiting returns every 
hour or two, attended by a great burning at the pit of the stomach, 
the substance thrown up having a peculiar bluish-green color, and a 
sour smell. As soon as this discharge takes place, the patient falls 
back upon the pillow, and lies easy until another turn comes round. 
The tongue is covered with a whitish coat, and the bowels are ob- 
stinately costive. The pulse is small and quick. 

Treatment. — The treatment cannot vary much from that pursued 
for inflammation of the stomach, though the neutralizing extract 
often suffices to allay the nausea and burning sensation. Some 
anti-bilious physic, to move the bowels should be given. 

Neutralizing Extract. — Take two pounds of the best rhubarb, one pound 
each of cinnamon and golden seal. Grind or bruise the articles, and mix them ; 



230 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

macerate them for two days in a gallon of the best fourth-proof brandy. Then 
express the tincture with strong pressure, and add to it one fluid dram of oil of 
peppermint, previously dissolved in a little alcohol. Take the residue remaining 
after the pressure, and placing it in a sieve or percolator, gradually run warm 
water through it until its strength is exhausted. Evaporate this infusion to four 
pints, and while the liquor is still hot, dissolve in it two pounds of bicarbonate 
of potassa, and three pounds of refined sugar. Continue the evaporation, if 
necessary, until, when added to the first tincture, it will make a gallon and a 
half ; then mix the two solutions. Dose : one fluid dram. G ood for dysentery 
and cholera morbus. 

NAUSEA. 

A sensation of sickness, with an inclination to yomit. Although 
the feeling of nausea itself is referred to the stomach, and may be 
due to causes connected with that organ simply, it also frequently 
originates in disorder in other and distant parts of the body. 

Treatment. — Clear the stomach by an emetic of ipecacuanha, and 
afterward the bowels by two or three grains of crlomel at night, 
followed by a black draught in the morning ; also take hydrocyanic 
acid, in doses of from one to three drops, with five grains of bicar- 
bonate of soda, every two, three, or four hours, in a glass of water. 
If the foregoing should fail, two or three leeches may be applied to 
the pit of the stomach, and one grain of calomel, with three grains 
of chalk or magnesia, laid on the tongue in powder, and swallowed 
gradually every four or six hours. So long as the stomach is in a 
state of irritation, only small quantities of food should be intro- 
duced into it at one time, as a spoonful of milk or beef tea every 
hour. A teaspoonful of magnesia in a glass of sherry, or lemon 
juice in small quantities, taken from time to time, have proved ben- 
eficial. 

PILES. 

These consist of small tumors, situated on the extremity of the 
great gut, called the return. The piles are usually accompanied by 
a sense of weight in the back, loins, and bottom of the belly, to- 
gether with pain in the head, sickness at the stomach, and flatulence 
in the bowels. If the tumor break, a quantity of blood is voided, 
and considerable relief from pain is obtained ; but if they continue 
unbroken, the patient experiences great pain. 

Treatment. — The following treatment will generally prove bene- 
ficial : 



DISEASES OF THE ABDOMINAL CAVITY. 231 

Lenitive Electuary, 1 ounce. 

Flour of Sulphur, 1 ounce. 

Jalap, in powder, 1 dram. 

Balsam of Copaiba, ^ ounce. 

Ginger, in powder, , ^ dram. 

Cream of Tartar, .... jounce. 

Syrup of Ginger, a sufficient quantity to form the whole into an electuary. 

Mix. Take a teaspoonful every three hours, until the bowels are 
freely open. At the same time make use of the following lotion : 

Goulard Water, 6 ounces. 

Laudanum, 1 ounce. 

Mix, and apply to the parts repeatedly. 

When the piles are very painful and swollen, but discharge noth- 
ing, the patient should sit over the steam of hot water. He may 
also apply a linen cloth, dipped in warm spirits of wine, to the up 
per part, or make use of bread and milk poultices. 

Either of the following may be used with advantage : 

Powder of Oak Galls, 1 ounce. 

Elder Ointment, 1 ounce. 

Mix, and anoint the parts night and morning. 

Sublimed Sulphur, \ ounce. 

Cream of Tartar, l£ drams. 

Lenitive Electuary, 1 ounce. 

Syrup sufficient to form an electuary. 

A teaspoonful to be taken at bed-time. 

Powdered Nut Gall, 2 drams. 

Camphor, 1 dram. 

Melted Wax, 1 ounce. 

Tincture of Opium, 2 drams. 

Mix, and apply as ointment to the parts. 

SEA SICKNESS. 

This depends upon a peculiar state of the brain, apparently 
caused by a want of the usual firmness and steadiness of the equil- 
ibrium of the body. 



232 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

Treatment. — Take of camphorated spirit, sal volatile, and Hoff- 
man's ether, a few drops each, upon a lump of sugar. Persons 
about to proceed to sea should put their stomach and bowels in or- 
der by the use of mild aperients, and even an emetic if required ; 
when it will be generally found that a glass of warm and weak 
brandy and water, to which one or two drops of creosote have been 
added, will effectually dispel any disposition to sea sickness. As 
the vessel descends draw in the breath, and as it ascends exhale the 
breath. This prevents the movements of the organs which act im- 
mediately upon sea sickness. Observe perfect quietude in the re- 
cumbent position, until the body is accustomed to the motion of the 
vessel ; take frequently two or three spoonfuls of strong coffee ; or 
twenty drops of hydrochloric ether. Hold fast by the ropes on the 
side of the ship, so as to move with all its motions, becoming, as it 
were, part of the vessel. 

VOMITING. 

This may arise from various causes, as excess in eating and 
drinking, foulness of the stomach, the acrimony of aliments, sud- 
den stoppage of wounds, weakness of the stomach, etc. 

treatment. — When vomiting proceeds from foul stomach or indi- 
gestion, it is not to be considered as a disease, but as the cure of a 
disease. It ought, therefore, to be promoted by drinking lukewarm 
water or thin gruel. If this does not put a stop to the vomiting, a 
dose of ipecacuanha may be taken, and worked off with weak cam- 
omile tea. If vomiting proceed from weakness of the stomach, bit- 
ters will be of service. Peruvian bark infused in wine or brandy, 
with as much rhubarb as will open the body gently, is an excellent 
remedy in this case. The diluted acid of vitriol is also s good 
medicine, and may be taken in the dose of fifteen or twenty drops, 
twice or thrice a day, in a glass of wine or water. It has been said 
that habitual vomitings are alleviated by making oysters a principal 
part of diet. A vomiting which proceeds from acidity of the stom- 
ach is relieved by alkaline purges. The best medicine is magnesia, 
a teaspoonful of which may be taken in a cupful of tea or a little 
milk, three or four times a day, or oftener, if necessary to keep the 
body open. When vomiting proceeds from violent passions or af- 
fections of the mind, all evacuants must be carefully avoided. The 
patient in this case ought to be kept perfectly easy and quiet, to 
have the mind soothed, and to take some gentle cordial, as negus 



DISEASES OF THE ABDOMINAL CAVITY. 233 

or a little brandy and water, to which a few drops of laudanum may- 
be occasionally added, 

When vomiting proceeds from spasmodic affections of the stom- 
ach, the application of a warm plaster to the pit of the stomach 
will afford relief. Any aromatic medicines may likewise be taken 
internally, as cinnamon or mint tea, wine with spices boiled in it, 
etc. The region of the stomach may be rubbed with ether, or, if 
that cannot be had, with strong brandy or other spirit. The belly 
should be fomented with warm water, or the patient immersed up 
to the breast in a warm bath. Saline draughts, taken in the act of 
effervescence, are of singular use in stopping a vomit, from what 
ever cause it may proceed. These draughts may be prepared by 
dissolving one dram of the salt of tartar in one and a half ounces 
of fresh lemon juice, and adding to it one ounce of peppermint 
water, the same quantity of simple cinnamon water, and a little 
white sugar. This draught must be swallowed before the efferves- 
cence is quite over, and may be repeated every two hours, or often- 
er, if the vomiting is violent. As the least motion will bring on 
vomiting again, even after it has stopped, the patient ought to avoid 
all manner of action. 

WATER BRASH. 

Water Brash consists in a discharge from the stomach, generally 
in the morning, of a thin, glairy fluid, sometimes insipid, often 
sweetish, and at other times sour. A burning heat or pain of the 
stomach attends it, and seems to cause the discharge. The amount 
thrown up varies from a spoonful to a pint or more. The complaint 
is caused by a poor, innutritious diet, or by whatever causes the 
blood to become thin and watery. 

Treatment. — Ten or fifteen drops of ammonia water, in half a 
tumblerful of cold water, will quiet the distress and stop the dis- 
charge. The best remedy for this discharge is the trisnitrate of 
bismuth, taken at meal times, three times a day, in thirty. grain 
doses. The tincture of nux vomica is good. The blood should be 
restored by tonics of some preparation of iron, and the food should 
be nourishing and digestible. 

WORMS. 

Worms arc parasitical animals which infest the intestinal canal of 



234 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

man. They are of five different kinds — the Ascarides, or small 
thread- worms, varying from an eighth of an inch to one and a half 
inches in length, and having usually their seat in the rectum, or 
last gut ; the Lumbrici, or long round worms, from two or three to 
ten or more inches in length, and usually occupying the small intes- 
tines, and sometimes the stomach ; the Trichuris, or long, hair- 
tailed thread-worm, occupying the ccecum ; and the Taenia, or tape 
worm, of which there are two kinds, occupying the whole tract of 
the intestines, and sometimes thirty or forty feet in length. 

Although adults are subject to this complaint, it is most common 
in children. 

Symptoms. — Fetid breath, grinding of the teeth during sleep,pick- 
ing the nose, paleness of the face, acid eructations, swelling of a 
portion of the belly, which is there hard and tender ; gripings, va- 
riable appetite, great irritability and itching of the lower parts of 
the body ; short, dry cough ; emaciation, slow fever, increasing to- 
ward night ; irregular pulse, and liability to convulsions. 

Treatment. — A dose of castor oil, exercise in the open air, whole- 
some diet, and a strict prohibition of uncooked fruit, and raw and 
green vegetables ; salt to be taken with all the food eaten. 

Any of the following remedies may be used, according to circum- 
stances : 

Filings of Tin, £ an ounce. 

Cassia Confection, £ an ounce. 

Mix. Take of the electuary a piece of the size of a nutmeg 
twice a day ; after this has been continued for two or three days, 
take the following : 

Submuriate of Mercury, 3 grains. 

Powdered Rhubarb, 10 grains. 

Mix, and take on the fourth morning after the preceding. 
Pound the leaves of tobacco with vinegar, and apply as a poul- 
tice to the stomach. 

Powdered Jalap, 1 ounce. 

Cream of Tartar 1 ounce. 

Powdered Ginger £ a dram. 

Treacle sufficient to make an electuary. 

For a child, a very small teaspoonful at bedtime. 



DISEASES OF THE ABDOMINAL CAVITY. 235 

Pour a pint of boiling water on one ounce of the leaves of the 
black hellebore, and, after it has cooled, give a dessert-spoonful ev- 
ery four hours until it purges freely. 

Inject into the bowels a half-pint of warm water to which has 
been added two drams of the tincture of sesquichloride of iron. 
If after the* use of this injection there is much irritation, three or 
four of thin starch should be thrown up. 

(For adults) : 

Compound Scammony Powder, 20 grains. 

Calomel, 3 grains. 

Sulphate of Potash, 20 grains. 

Mix ; to be taken fasting. 

Aloes, 3 grains. 

Khubarb, 6 grains. 

Aromatic Powder, 5 grains. 

To be given on four successive nights, and worked off on the 
fifth morning with a dose of salts. 

The reason why children are more infested with worms than 
adults are, arises in a great measure from an indulgence in sweet- 
meats, sugar, etc., and from the partial or total neglect of salt. 
This matter should be scrupulously attended to, at the same time 
endeavoring to invigorate the system generally by wholesome and 
nutritious food. These measures are of themselves frequently suf- 
ficient to procure for a child an immunity from this distressing and 
debilitating complaint. 



236 



OUK FAMILY DOCTOR. 



THE URINARY AND GENITAL ORGANS. 



ANATOMY AND FUNCTIONS. 



Fig. 72. 



The Kidneys. — These are two glandular bodies situated in the 
lumbar region, whose office is to secrete the urine from the blood. 
Their exact position is on either side of the spine, in what is usu- 
ally called the small of the back, where they lie imbedded in fat ; 

each of them is supplied with blood 
by vessels which issue directly from 
the aorta, and from each of them is- 
sues a duct called the ureter, which 
conveys the urine to the bladder. 
The kidneys are composed of two 
very different structural arrange- 
ments — the outer, or cortical portion 
being, as it were, granulated, and 
the inner being fibrous, arranged in 
pyramids or cones, with their bases 
resting upon the cortical substance, 
and their apices or points opening 
into a central cavity — the pelvis, or, 
as it has been called, the brain of the 
kidney, which may be regarded as an 
expansion of the upper portion of 
the ureter, which is about the diam- 
eter of a goose quill, and eighteen inches long, passing behind the 
bladder, and entering that organ at its lower part. The granulated 
appearance of the cortical portion of the kidneys is owing to the 




Section of a Kidney. 



THE URINARY AND GENITAL ORGANS. 237 

remarkable globular expansions of the roots of the capillary 
tubes, which form the cone-like structures of the inner 
part, and present, when viewed through the microscope, a 
very beautiful arrangement, consisting of bundles or fasciculi 
of hair-like filaments — each bundle together forming what 
is called a process, and opening into one of the calices of 
the pelvis, in a nipple-like projection, having several minute 
orifices. On all these, little canals, called tubuli uriniferse, 
tiny blood vessels ramify and spread down to the rounded 
communicators to which we have just alluded, and which 
are sometimes called the corpuscles of Malpigi ; here it is 
that the urine is secreted or separated from the blood, 
and from thence it is conveyed by the tubuli into the 
calices, and then through the pelvis of the kidneys into 
the ureter, to be received in the great reservoir, the 
bladder ; from thence, by means of muscular contraction, 
to be forced out by the proper channel, when sufficient 
quantity has accumulated. 

Each kidney together forms a firm, fleshy mass, which is 
enclosed in a fibrous capsule, the outer and tougher membrane 
being lined with a soft and smooth mucous membrane 
which forms a continuation of that which lines the ureter and 
the bladder ; the shape is about that of a French bean. 

The Urine is a highly complex fluid, secreted from the 
blood by the kidneys. In a healthy person, when recently 
voided, it is a clear, limpid fluid, of a pale yellow or 
amber color, with a peculiar faint aromatic odor, which 
becomes pungent and ammoniacal when decomposition takes 
place. Often, however, as it cools, it becomes opaque and 
turbid, from the deposition of part of its constituents pre- 
viously held in solution; and this may be consistent with 
health. The quantity secreted in twenty-four hours depends 
upon the amount of fluid drank and the quantity secreted 
by the skin ; but generally it is about from thirty to forty 
fluid ounces. In 1000 parts of ordinary urine there are 933 
parts of water and 67 parts of solid matter 

The Bladder is a thin membranous bag which serves as a recep- 



238 



OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 




tacle for the urine secreted by the kidneys, until it is voided through 
the urethra. It is situated in the pelvis, and is kept in its place by 
ligaments, which are usually divided into true and false, the latter 
j? m 74 # being formed of folds of the peritoneum. 

It is composed of three coats, or mem- 
branes, — the external, or fibrous membrane ; 
the middle, or muscular membrane ; and the 
internal, or mucous membrane. The mus- 
cular membrane is composed of bands of 
muscular fibres running in different direc- 
tions, and commonly distinguished into two 
layers — -an external or longitudinal, and an 
internal, transverse or circular. Its figure 
is nearly that of a short oval. It is broader 
on the fore and back than on the lateral 
parts, — rounder above than below when 
empty, and broader below than above when 
full. Ifc is divided by anatomists into the 
summit or superior fundus, the body, the 
base or inferior fundus, and the neck — that 
portion which is constricted by a sphincter 
muscle, and communicates with the urethra. 
On each side, rather below its middle, it 
receives the two ducts called ureters, which 
convey the urine from the kidneys into the bladder. 

Generative Organs. — In the human race, as throughout the greater 
part of the animal kingdom, generation is accomplished by fecunda- 
tion, or the effect of the vivifying fluid provided by one class of 
organs upon the germ contained in the seed or ovum formed by 
another class, in the opposite sex. This germ, when fecundated, is 
termed the embryo. The process consists of impregnation in the 
male — conception in the female. 

The organs of generation in the male are — 1. The testes and 
their envelopes, namely, the scrotum or cutaneous envelope; the 
dartos, which corrugates or ridges the scrotum ; and the fibrous or 
vaginal tunics; we must also here include the epidermis, above the 
testes ; the vas deferens, or excretory duct, and the spermatic chord. 
2. Vesicular seminales, forming a canal situated beneath the blad- 
der. 3. The prostate gland, surrounding the neck of the bladder 
and the commencement of the urethra. 4. Cowper's glands, a pair 



The Urinary Bladder, 
showing its muscular fibres. 

8, Left Ureter ; 9, Left portion 
of Seminal Vesicles ; 11, 11, Late- 
ral Lobes of the Prostate Gland ; 
14, Urethra, tied with a cord. 



THE UKINAKY AND GENITAL ORGANS. 239 

situated below the prostate. 5. The ejaculatory ducts. 6. The 
penis, which consists of the corpus cavernosura, the urethra, the 
corpus spongiosum, which terminates in the glans penis ; then there 
are the vessels, nerves, and a cutaneous investment, which by its 
prolongation forms the prepuce. 

The female organs are : 1. The vulva or pubendum, the external 
parts, comprehending the labia pubendi (lip), the clitoris, situated 
at the middle and superior part of the pubendum ; the nymphse or 
alse minores ; the urethra, which terminates in the meatus urina- 
rius, opening into the vagina, which is occupied by the hymen, a 
semilunar fold, or the carunculse myrtiformis, its lacerated remains 
after the first act of copulation ; and the entrance into the vagina, 
termed the os externum, so called to distinguish it from the os in- 
ternum, or orifice of — 2. The uterus, whose appendages are — the 
ligamenta lata (the broad ligaments), sometimes called alse vesper- 
tilionum, and the round ligaments commencing immediately before 
and below the Fallopian tubes, which extend to the ovaria. 

The Perineum. — The space between the anus and the external 
parts of the generative organs, so called from being frequently 
moist. The operation of cutting for stone in males is usually per- 
formed here, and here it is that serious injury sometimes occurs, 
when persons fall with their legs astride of any object, or get a 
bruise while in that position, as on horseback; bloody urine, or 
complete stoppage may be the consequence, arising from inflamma- 
tion of the bladder, or urethra. Best and warm fomentations, with 
leeches, and the use of the catheter, if necessary, must in this case 
be resorted to ; with low diet, aperients, and cooling medicines, to 
keep down any tendency to fever there may be. 

We abstain from giving cuts of these several parts and organs 
for sufficiently obvious reasons ; in a book intended for family use 
they would be altogether objectionable. "With regard to the dis- 
eases which more immediately affect them, a few simple remarks 
will be made under their several heads ; but we would here impress 
upon our readers the necessity of at once seeking medical advice 
for all affections of the genital organs. It is in the treatment of 
this peculiar class of diseases that advertising empirics reap their 
richest harvest, entailing the greatest present sufferings, and most 
fearful after-consequences upon their too credulous dupes. 



240 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

DISEASES OF THE UKINAKY AND GENITAL OEGANS. 

BLEEDING FROM THE BLADDER— BLOODY URINE. 

Causes. — Falls, blows, bruises, or some violent exertion, such as 
jumping or the like ; sometimes from small stones in the kidneys, 
ureter, or bladder, which wounds those parts. 

Symptoms. — The blood parted with is somewhat coagulated, and 
deposits a dark brown sediment resembling coffee grounds. When 
the blood is from the kidney or ureter, it is commonly attended by 
acute pain, and sense of weight in the back, and some difficulty in 
parting with it. When the blood is from the bladder immediately, 
it is usually accompanied by a sense of heat, and pain at the lower 
part of the body, and the blood is not so much coagulated. 

Treatment. — Empty the bowels with cooling purges, and take the 
following astringent tonic mixture : Tincture of steel, three drams ; 
infusion of roses, six ounces ; mix, take two tablespoonfuls every 
three hours ; and physicians generally recommend that the drink 
should be thick barleywater, solution of gum arabic, or decoction of 
mallows sweetened with honey. ■ 

Mild aperient draught : Tartrate of potash, three drams ; tincture 
of senna, one dram ; manna, half an ounce ; warm water, one and a 
half ounces ; mix, and take at once. 

CLOUDED, THICK, OR DARK-COLORED URINE. 

Take the following antacid diuretic mixture : Liquor potash, two 
drams ; tincture of cubebs, two ounces ; infusion of buchu leaves, 
thirteen ounces ; mix, take two tablespoonfuls four times a day. 

The following will usually effect a cure : Dilute nitric acid, two 
drams ; syrup of lemon, four drams ; water, eight ounces ; mix, 
take one tablespoonful three times a day ; or take half a teaspoonful 
of citric acid in water four times a day. 

DIABETES. 

An immoderate now of urine, distinguished as first insipidus 
(tasteless), when the urine retains its usual taste ; and second, mel- 
litus (honied), when it is characterized by a saccharine taste. Gen- 



DISEASES OF THE URINARY AND GENITAL ORGANS. 241 

erally speaking these may be considered as two stages of the dis- 
ease, the urine being at first clear and without other than the usual 
taste, and afterward becoming cloudy and sweet. 

Causes. — The chief causes of diabetes are intemperate living, 
excess of venery, copious evacuations of the bowels long continued, 
frequent use of diuretics and acrid drinks, or it may be hard labor 
and poor living, or aught which tends to impoverish the blood. 
The best physicians consider it "an impaired action, or morbid 
change, in the natural powers of assimilation and digestion, which 
forms the proximate cause of the disease." 

Symptoms. — Frequent and copious discharge of urine, containing 
eventually, if not at first, a large proportion of saccharine and other 
matter. There is gradual emaciation, voracious appetite, great 
thirst, weakness, and disinclination to motion ; the alimentary pro- 
cess is improperly performed, and thus the food taken does not 
yield its proper amount of nourishment, and constitutional de- 
rangement is the consequence. 

Treatment. — The diet should be entirely animal food — all vege- 
table substances to be avoided — the bowels to be kept quietly open 
with pills of aloes and soap, emetics and diaphoretics occasionally 
administered, perhaps the compound ipecacuanha powder, ten 
grains at bed-time, is the best ; alkaline drinks, such as soda water, 
may be given with advantage, and blisters and issues applied to the 
regions of the kidneys, covering the skin with flannel, anointing it 
with camphorated oil, using the warm bath and the flesh brush are 
also good, as are chalybeate and sulphurated waters. Tonics, as- 
tringents, and stimulants will be of service, especially preparations 
of iron with tincture of cantharides ; if in the summer, sea-bathing, 
and anything which may serve to invigorate the system. Such is 
an outline of general treatment ; of course, constitutional peculiar- 
ities require special and appropriate remedial measures, and of 
these only the professional adviser can judge. 

GRAVEL. 

A disease depending on the formation of stony matter in the kid- 
ney. 

Treatment. — The general treatment should consist in a hot bath 
and warm fomentations ; a dose of castor-oil should be adminis- 
tered, and when the bowels have acted, if there be much pain, the 



242 OUE FAMILY DOCTOB. 

following may be given : Solution of acetate of morphine, one 
dram ; spirit of hydrochloric ether, two drams ; syrup of roses, 
half an ounce ; camphor mixture, four ounces. One-fourth part to 
be taken at bed-time. Linseed tea or barley water should be drank 
freely. The following may also be used with good results : Infu- 
sion of biich.ii, seven ounces ; tincture of musk seeds, one ounce ; 
sal volatile, two drams. Mix ; dose, two tablespoonfuls once or 
twice a day. Or this : Essential oil of spruce, one scruple ; spirit 
of nitric ether, one ounce ; mix ; dose, a teaspoonful two or three 
times a day, in a teaspoonful of the decoction of marshmallow root. 
Or the following may be used : Rectified oil of turpentine, sweet 
spirit of nitre, oil of juniper, balsam of sulphur, of each half an 
ounce ; mix ; dose, fifteen or sixteen drops in a wineglassful of wa- 
ter three times a day. Or this : Alicant soap, eight ounces ; fresh 
lime, finely powdered, one ounce ; oil of tartar, one dram ; mix with 
sufficient quantity of water for a mass, and divide it into five-grain 
pills, from three to four of which should be taken daily. The fol- 
lowing remedy has been highly recommended for this complaint : 
Parsley Blakestone (of the herbalist), ten cents worth, stewed down 
in a pint of water to half a pint ; when cool, add a wineglassful of 
gin. Take a wineglassful of the mixture every morning, until relief 
is afforded. 

INFLAMMATION OF THE KIDNEYS. 

The existence of this disease may be known by a sense of heat 
and sharp pains about the loins, and a dull, benumbed feeling down 
the thigh. 

Treatment. — Avoid everything of a heating or stimulating nature, 
and let the diet consist chiefly of light, thin broth, mild vegetables, 
etc. ; drink plentifully of balm tea, sweetened with honey, decoction 
of marshmallow roots, with barley licorice, etc. Nothing so safely 
and certainly abates the inflammation as copious dilution. Should 
there be much pain in the back, heat should be applied to the part ; 
and this is done by me ins of cloths dipped in hot water, re warmed 
as they grow cool. Another good plan is to fill bladders with a de- 
coction of madders and camomile flowers, to which is added a little 
saffron, and mixed with about a third part of new milk. Should 
there be shivering and signs of fever, with considerable tenderness 
over the kidneys, and no medical advice at hand, a few leeches may 
be applied. After some time the bowels should be freely opened, 



DISEASES OF THE UKINAKY AND GENITAL OKGANS. 243 

and the best means of effecting this is with three grains of calomel, 
and two hours afterward half an ounce of castor oil ; subsequently 
the following may be given : Carbonate of soda, two drams ; spirit 
of nitric ether, tincture of henbane, of each two drams ; syrup of 
tolu, mixture of acacia, of each one ounce ; camphor mixture to 
eight ounces ; mix, and take half a wineglassful every four hours. 
A very good remedy is the following : Take of tincture of opium, 
liquor of ammonia, spirit of turpentine, and soap liniment, of each 
equal portions ; mix, and rub well into the parts affected. In con- 
junction with this external application, take of infusion of buchu, 
eleven drams ; powdered tragacanth, five grains ; tincture of buchu, 
one dram ; mix for a draught, and take every morning. Or this 
may be used : If there be much nausea, a clyster should be admin- 
istered, consisting of a dram of laudanum, with half a teacupful of 
thin starch ; this to be injected every two or three hours, or at 
longer intervals, according to the effect produced. Employ the 
warm bath, and afterward warm fomentations to the stomach and 
loins ; drink freely of linseed tea. Take also of sulphate of mag- 
nesia one ounce ; solution of carbonate of magnesia, one ounce ; 
tincture of henbane, and tincture of ginger, of each two drams; 
sulphuric ether, half a drachm ; water, four ounces ; mix, and give 
three tablespoonfuls every six hours. Those who have once suffered 
from inflammation of the kidneys are very liable to it again ; to pre- 
vent a recurrence of the attack, they should abstain from wine and 
stimulants ; use moderate exercise ; avoid exposure to wet and 
cold ; eat of food light and easy of digestion ; not lie too much on 
the back, and on a mattrass in preference to a bed. 

INFLAMMATION OP THE BLADDER. 

Causes. — It is seldom a primary disease, but is in consequence 
of inflammation in the neighboring parts ; it is, however, sometimes 
caused by retention of the urine, and consequently over-distension 
of the bladder, or by a large stone in the bladder. 

Symptoms. — Acute pain and tension of the part frequent desire to 
make water, but difficulty in passing it, or a complete retention of 
it ; and tenesmus, and frequent desire to go to stool to no pur- 
pose. 

Treatment. — The diet must be light and thin ; the drinks in all 



244 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

bladder diseases must be linseed tea, barley water, solution of gum 
arabic, marsh mallow tea, and the like ; bleeding by leeches, if very 
bad, and this anodyne clyster : Linseed tea and new milk, each half 
a pint ; laudanum, forty drops ; mix, and inject ; this foments the 
internal parts. The bowels may be kept open by this mild aperient 
draught : Tartrate of potash, three drams ; tincture of senna, one 
dram ; manna, half an ounce ; warm water, one and a half ounces ; 
mix and take at once. 

IRRITATION OP THE BLADDER 

In ordinary cases this may be relieved by warm fomentations ap- 
plied to the affected part, or by warm bathing. It is also well to 
avoid undue exertion, to rest in a recumbent position as much as 
possible, to keep the bowels well open, and to abstain from eating 
and drinking such things as are of a heating and stimulating na- 
ture. When the complaint assumes a more severe form, medical 
advice should be sought without delay. 

INCONTINENCY OF URINE. 

This is rather a troublesome than a dangerous complaint, and 
young children and aged persons are most liable thereto. 

Causes. — Most generally from a relaxation of the governing 
sphincter muscle of the bladder, from weakness or paralytic affec- 
tion, but sometimes it is caused by some irritating substance in the 
bladder ; in children, some say, from sleeping on their backs. 

Symptoms. — The water comes away in drops, sometimes involun- 
tarily. 

Treatment. — Dash cold water on the loins and genitals ; a blister 
on the spine is useful, and the following are useful : 

Stimulant tonic drops : Tincture of steel, six drams ; tincture of 
cantharides, two drams ; tincture of henbane, one dram ; mix, take 
thirty drops, three times a day, in water. 

Or the following may be used with good effect : Sulphate of zinc, 
one dram ; powdered rhubarb, one dram ; Venice turpentine, two 
drams ; mix, divide into sixty pills, take one three times a day, and 
therewith a wineglassful of the decoction of leaves of bear's whor- 
tle, or bilberry, 



DISEASES OF THE URINARY AND GENITAL ORGANS. 245 



SUPPRESSION OF URINE. 

If there is a frequent desire of making water, attended with much 
difficulty in voiding it, it is called strangury. If none is made, sup- 
pression of urine. 

Causes. — Inflammation of the urethra or passage, or sores, or 
severe inflammations about those parts ; a lodgment of hard mat- 
ter in the last gut or rectum, spasm at the neck of the bladder, ex- 
posure to cold, taking to excess cantharides, or blistering back, ex- 
cess in drinking, stone in the kidneys or bladder, and enlargement 
of prostate glands. 

Symptoms. — A constant desire, or feeling of necessity to make wa- 
ter and cannot, or if parted with, much pain and difficulty in pass- 
ing it ; much enlargement of the bladder. If from stone in the 
kidney be the cause, often nausea, vomiting, and acute pain in the 
loins ; if from stone in the bladder, the stream of water will be di- 
vided into two, or suddenly checked. 

Treatment. — If much inflammation and irritation exists, all strain- 
ing to expel the urine should be avoided, and it let off by a catheter 
every six hours, or, as it is commonly called, drawn. The following 
will be found very useful remedies : 

Anodyne diuretic draught : Mucilage of gum acacia, six ounces ; 
olive oil, one and a half ounces ; mix well in a marble mortar, then 
add six drams of spirits of sweet nitre ; laudanum, one and a half 
drams ; fennel water, three ounces ; mix, and take three tablespoon- 
fuls every three hours ; or this : 

Demulcent diuretic draught : Acetate of potash, two drams ; laud- 
anum, one and a half drams ; syrup of marsh mallows, one and a 
half ounces ; fennel water, eight ounces ; mix, take three table- 
spoonfuls every three hours. 

The bowels must in all cases be kept free by using the following 
often : 

Emollient clyster : Balsam of capivi, two drams ; yolk of an egg ; 
rub this and the balsam together ; then add castor oil, half ounce ; 
laudanum, one dram ; compound decoction of marsh mallows (that 
is well boiled), eleven ounces ; mix, inject up the rectum ; this fo- 
ments and soothes the parts. 



246 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 



MASTURBATION {Self-Pollution, Onanism). 

This destructive vice is indulged in to a frightful extent by the 
youth of both sexes. Often the habit is indulged in without its 
victim having the slightest knowledge of its destructiveness, and 
only when nature is so outraged that the system refuses to perform 
its offices, does the victim become conscious of the evil. A grave 
responsibility rests upon parents toward their children in these 
matters. Every child, male or female, should be carefully watched, 
until it is old enough to understand the subject, and then it should 
be carefully explained to it. The earlier this is done, and the 
stronger the impression made upon the mind of the child of the 
wickedness of this abuse, the better. It is truly a matter of life 
and death, and squeamishness is as much out of place as if the child 
were really dying. 

The habit of self-pollution in boys leads to that of involuntary 
seminal emissions, in itself a disease, and a continued cause of ner- 
vous exhaustion and final impotence. In girls the same habit causes 
leuchorrea, or mucus discharges from the vagina, falling of womb, 
irregular and painful menstruation, a loss of all pleasure in the sex- 
ual relation, difficult and painful childbirth, and a whole train of 
nervous and hysterical affections, which make the lives of women a 
curse to themselves and to all around them. 

It is supposed by many that the mischief of this practice is from 
the loss of semen. The loss of this secretion is certainly exhaust- 
ing ; but this is far from being the greatest source of evil. Boys 
secrete no semen before puberty, and girls never secrete any. The 
real source of mischief is in the nervous orgasm — that vivid, ec- 
static, and, in its natural • exercise, most delightful of all sensuous 
enjoyments. The orgasm is almost a spasm. When prematurely 
excited, though then imperfect, it gives a shock to the whole sys- 
tem ; and when often repeated, the nervous power is completely ex- 
hausted. All the vitality of the body goes to supply the immature 
and too-early exhausted amative organs in the brain and body. The 
cerebrum is robbed, and the child loses sense and memory ; the di- 
gestive system is robbed, and we have dyspepsia and decay, with a 
terrific train of nervous and organic diseases. 

Symptoms. — The following are given by reputable and scien- 
tific medical writers as among the symptoms of this disease : 



DISEASES OF THE URINARY AND GENITAL ORGANS. 247 

Loss of memory and mental power ; entire concentration of mind 
and imagination on one feeling and act ; a besotted, embarrassed, 
melancholy, and stupid look ; loss of all presence of mind ; incapa- 
bility of bearing the gaze of any one ; tremors and apprehensions 
of future misery ; morbid appetite ; indigestion, and the whole train 
of dyspeptic symptoms, constipation, fetid breath, etc. ; pale, sal- 
low, cadaverous, or dirty-looking, greasy skin ; eruptions of pimples . 
over the face, particularly the forehead, and on the back between 
the shoulders ; hollowness and lack-lustre of the eyes, with a dark 
circle around them ; feebleness of the whole body ; indisposition to 
make any active exertion ; weakness, weariness, and dull pain in the 
small of the back ; creeping sensation in the spine. Finally, here 
comes insanity or idiocy ; atrophy, and death by consumption, most 
probably of the lungs ; but very frequently of the spine or the 
bowels. 

With females, beside these consequences, there are menstrual ir- 
regularities, hysteria, catalepsy, and general nervous derange- 
ment. 

Treatment. — The habit must be abandoned at once ; unless this 
be done no treatment will be of any avail. The moral character 
must be strengthened. The motives of hope, manhood, virtue, and 
religion must be placed before the patient. All things of a sensa- 
tional character must be avoided, the company of the good and vir- 
tuous cultivated, and the mind kept engaged in some elevating 
study or useful employment. Avoid all stimulants — wine, coffee, 
liquors, novels, love pictures, balls, theatres, and sleeping on the 
back. Use a hard bed, light and not too nutritious food. Take 
whey, acidulous drinks, fruits, and a vegetable diet. Take a bath 
morning and evening, and exercise till quite fatigued. Avoid all 
aromatic articles, fish, eggs, jelly, game, salad, mushrooms, canthar- 
ides, aloes, and all stimulants, except camphor. If there is irrita- 
tion in the cerebellum, by heaviness or heat, cut the hair very short, 
wear no cap, use a hard pillow, ice applications on the nape, with 
hot foot bath, dry or narcotic friction on each side of the vertebral 
column, also cold liquid applications. 

In extreme cases, where the habit has overcome the reason of the 
patient, he should not be left alone day or night. Let him go to 
bed only when much fatigued, and rise the moment he awakes. 
Let the bed be hard and cool, with light covering. Attend to the 
evacuating of the bowels and bladder. Dashing cold water on the 



248 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

genitals, with the free use of the vagina syringe for females, will 
assist much in restoring the tone of the organs. 

NOCTURNAL EMISSIONS. 

These, to which young men are sometimes especially liable, often 
cause more alarm than there really is any occasion for; they are in- 
voluntary discharges of the seminal fluid, and are likely to occur 
when the organs are excited by dreams, or imaginations of a certain 
character. Unless they become frequent and profuse, there is no 
reason for regarding them with the morbid feeling of anxiety which 
they commonly occasion ; still such discharges should be attended 
to and checked as much as possible. They generally indicate a de- 
bilitated system, and are in most cases, perhaps, the result of crim- 
inal self-indulgence and venereal excesses, from which those thus 
affected should rigorously abstain. A course of tonic medicines 
should be taken ; nothing is so good as the muriated tincture of 
iron with quinine, about one grain of the latter with ten drops of 
the former, in a little water, three times a day. Sea bathing or the 
shower bath, regular but not excessive exercise, a sufficiently nour- 
ishing but not a stimulating diet, with gentle aperient medicines if 
required (avoiding aloes), are the proper remedial measures. 

Persons affected in this way often get into a painfully nervous 
state, and, conscious that they are but reaping the reward of bad 
practices, are ashamed to state their cases to a respectable medical 
man, and therefore fly to advertising quacks, who promise secresy 
and a rapid cure. But this is a great mistake ; there can be no rapid 
cure for involuntary seminal discbarges, except it be by such pow- 
erful medicines as will do great mischief to the system of the pa- 
tient, and probably render his organic weakness permanent. In 
nine cases out of ten a temporary stoppage of the discharge, even, 
is not accomplished by the much-vaunted Balm of Syriacum, and 
other nostrums, so quickly as it would be by the means above rec- 
ommended, or others which the legitimate practitioner might deem 
suitable for the peculiar case, and no after ill-effects are to be appre- 
hended from such treatment. 

GONORRHEA. 

Gonorrhea or clap is not, as its name implies, a discharge of true 



DISEASES OF THE UKINARY AND GENITAL ORGANS. 249 

semen, but consists of a purulent discharge from the urethra, being 
the effect of inflammation of a specific character attacking the ex- 
tremity of that passage, and in certain cases extending through its 
whole course. 

Symptoms. — This disease begins to make its appearance in some 
persons about the third or fourth day, and in others in a week or 
two after connection, but the average time is from three to twelve 
days. About the third day, generally speaking, the orifice of the 
urethra begins to swell, the patient feels a certain degree of uneas- 
iness in the parts, there is a sensation of itching in the glans of the 
male organ, and a soreness and tingling in the course of the ureth- 
ra ; the lips of the orifice are, at first, drier and hotter than natu- 
ral ; but in a short time a white purulent discharge makes its ap- 
pearance, which as time advances increases in quantity. There is 
now great pain and scalding in passing water, in consequence of 
such a fluid as the urine, which is loaded with saline matter, passing 
over an inflamed surface ; and from the inflammation of the lining 
membrane diminishing the size of the passage, the urine is voided 
in a smaller stream than natural, and sometimes with difficulty. 
The discharge in the course of a few days considerably increases, 
and changes its appearance, being sometimes greenish and some- 
times of a yellowish cast ; the patient is troubled with frequent and 
painful erections, particularly when he gets warm in bed — this af- 
fection is called chordee. In the mild form of this disease, it is un- 
accompanied by any constitutional symptoms, and will, by strict at- 
tention to diet, rest, and cleanliness, run itself off in the course of 
five or six weeks without the aid of medicine, or any treatment ex- 
cept that just recommended. 

In the severe form of the disease, arising either from natural 
causes, intemperance, or the use of strong astringent injections, the 
inflammation, instead of being confined to the first inch and a half 
of the urethra, may extend the whole length backward, implicating 
the prostate gland, neck of the bladder, and the lining membrane 
of that organ. In these cases, the patient is tormented with a fre- 
quent desire [to pass water, which is voided with great difficulty, 
and only by a few drops at a time. There is great constitutional 
disturbance, and fever of an inflammatory character. It is also fre- 
quently accompanied by enlargement of the glands of the groin, 
arising from inflammation of a set of vessels called absorbents, 
which lead from the diseased surface in the urethra into them ; 



250 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

these are called sympathetic buboes, in consequence of their in 
creasing or diminishing in size according to the amount of inflam- 
mation in the passage — they do not frequently proceed to suppura- 
tion. From the same cause — that is, extension of inflammation 
along the spermatic tube — there will be inflammation and enlarge- 
ment of one or both testicles. In such cases the discharge will 
disappear for a time, and as there may be a good deal of constitu- 
tional disturbance and fever, all stimulating medicines and astrin- 
gent injections should be suspended — this affection frequently aris- 
ing from their improper use. It may also be accompanied by one 
or more abscesses along the urethra, which frequently communicate 
with that passage. 

Chordee is a most troublesome affection in this disease, and con- ] 

sists in the painful erection of the penis, the top being bent down- 
ward : this arises from inflammation of the cells surrounding the 
urethra, which prevents its extension during erection, when all the 
other parts of that organ are filled with blood. "When the inflam- 
mation runs high, it sometimes happens that, in making water, a 
small blood vessel is ruptured, and a flow of blood ensues, which is 
of great service unless it should be too copious, when it must be 
stopped. 

In persons troubled with tight foreskins, the matter from the 
urethra becomes collected between the foreskin and glans of the 
penis, producing excoriation of the latter, and inflammation and 
swelling of the former ; so that the patient is unable to draw it back 
from the glans : this state is called phymosis. On the other hand, 
when the foreskin becomes inflamed and swollen, and cannot be 
drawn over the glans so as to cover that part, it is called paraphy- 
mosis. Persons in whom the foreskin is naturally very tight, so 
that the glans of the penis is never exposed, are subject, when out 
of health or when the bowels are confined, to a discharge from be- 
neath the foreskin, resembling in its character the discharge which 
takes place in gonorrhea : this discharge arises from irritation of a 
set of glands surrounding the glans of the penis, which pour out a 
purulent secretion that produces excoriation and inflammation of 
the parts. This disease is called spurious gonorrhea, and must be 
distinguished from true gonorrhea, as the treatment of the two will 
essentially differ. 

Treatment. — In the mild form of this disease, and in the first 
stage when the discharge is fully developed, and the inflammation 



DISEASES OF THE UKINAEY AND GENITAL OKGANS. 251 

confined to the first inch and a half of the urethra, the first thing 
to be done is to open the bowels briskly. This may be effectually 
accomplished by administering the following powder : 

Powdered Jalap, 20 grains. 

Calomel, 4 grains. 

Mix. To be given in something thick at bed-time. Animal food, 
all stimulating drinks, such as ale, spirits, and wine, should be care- 
fully abstained from. Great cleanliness should be observed, the 
penis should be bathed several times a day in hot water, allowing it 
to soak for a few minutes each time, and taking care to wash off all 
discharge which might be collected between the foreskin and glans 
of the penis. The patient should rest as much as possible, and he 
should wear a suspensory bandage to keep the penis out of the way 
of all friction. His diet should consist of light farinaceous food, 
such as arrow-root, sago, or bread puddings ; and for his ordinary 
drink, barley water or toast and water. Broths of an unstimulating 
character, such as mutton and chicken, might be both allowed occa- 
sionally. He should then take the following powder three times 
a day: 

Cubebs Pepper 1 dram. 

Powdered Gum Arabic, 1 scruple. 

Carbonate of Soda, 10 grains. 

Make a mixture. To be taken in a little milk or water. This treat- 
ment should be continued for a few days, after which the doses of 
cubebs might be increased to two drams three times a day. Should 
the discharge still continue after persevering in this plan for eight 
or ten days, and when the active stage of the inflammation has sub- 
sided, the following mixture may be administered with advan- 
tage : 

Balsam Copaiba 1 drams. 

Sweet Spirit of Nitre, 4 drams. 

Tincture of French Flies, 2 drams. 

Water, 3 drams. 

Mix, shake up, and take one teaspoonful three or four times a day, 
in a wineglassful of water. 
Or the following mixture : 



252 OUR FAMILY DOCTOK. 

Balsam Copaiba, 3 drams. 

Powdered Gum Arabic 2 drams. 

Camphor Mixture, or Common Water, 6 ounces. 

Spirit of Lavender, ^ ounce. 

Sweet Spirit of Nitre, |- ounce. 

Mix. Rub up the copaiba with the gum arabic, first, in a mortar ; 
then add the water by slow degrees, and when the copaiba becomes 
incorporated with the water, add the other materials : a tablespoon- 
ful to be taken every day. Should this quantity disagree with the 
stomach, or produce pain in the back, the dose may be diminished 
according to the age, strength, and peculiar circumstances of the 
patient. 

The following is also a good form of mixture : 

Copaiba, 3 drams. 

Powdered Cubebs, 6 drams. 

Laudanum, 30 drops. 

Powdered Gum Arabic, 2 drams. 

Common Water, 6 ounces. 

A tablespoonful three or four times a day. Care must be taken to 
keep the bowels gently open during the treatment. The following 
is a good aperient pill for the purpose : 

Compound Colocynth Pill , 1 dram. 

Calomel, 6 grains. 

Oil of Caraway, 6 drops. 

Mix, and divide into twelve pills ; one or two to be taken every sec- 
ond or third night. It sometimes happens that the copaiba disa- 
grees very much with the stomach, producing indigestion and eruc- 
tation of a rancid fluid into the mouth ; also fever and nettle rash. 
In these cases it should be suspended for a time, or altogether 
omitted. 

In the severe form of this disease, when the inflammation extends 
as far as the neck of the bladder, bleeding should be resorted to 
immediately ; the blood may be taken from the arm of the patient, 
if he be of a full stout habit, or leeches may be applied to the 
amount of ten or twelve along the perineum and urethra, which may 
be repeated, according to necessity, once or twice a week. Fomen- 
tations, consisting of flannels wrung out of hot water, should then 



DISEASES OF THE URINARY AND GENITAL ORGANS. 253 

be applied, or large poultices of linseed meal, or bread and water, 
three or four times a day ; or the patient may sit in a hip bath once 
or twice daily ; strict rest in the recumbent position should be en- 
joined ; and for the purpose of keeping the bowels open, the follow- 
ing mixture should be administered : 

Epsom Salts, 6 drams. 

Tartar Emetic, 1 grain. 

Mindererus Spirit, 1 ounce. 

Syrup, \ ounce. 

Camphor Mixture, 5 ounces. 

Two tablespoonfuls to be taken every two or three hours. In order 
to allay irritation, and relieve the pain, heat, and difficulty in mak- 
ing water, the patient should drink freely of barley water, linseed 
tea, or solution of gum in milk. Some recommend the use of sooth- 
ing injections in this stage. The injection should consist of — 

Warm "Water, 8 ounces. 

Vinous Solution of Opium, 60 drops. 

This should be thrown into the urethra several times a day. 

If the patient should be troubled with a frequent desire to make 
water opium administered by the mouth or rectum is of the great- 
est service. The following is a good draught in these cases : 

Tincture of Opium, 30 drops. 

Syrup, \ ounce. 

Camphor Mixture, 1^ ounces. 

Make a draught ; to be taken once or twice in twenty four hours, 
according to the intensity of the pain. Or an injection, consisting 
of two ounces of thin gruel, and half a dram of tincture of opium, 
may be thrown into the rectum. 

Stricture is frequently the result of this form of the disease. 
When the active stage has been reduced by the means already laid 
down, the discharge may be treated by astringents, botn internally 
and externally. The form of mixture already prescribed will an- 
swer. Astringent injections may be also employed with advantage 
— either of the following may be used : 



254 OUK FAMILY DOCTOE. 

Sulphate of Zinc (White Vitriol), 30 grains. 

"Wine of Opium, ^ dram. 

Water, 6 ounces. 

To be thrown into the urethra three or four times a day. 
Or take : 

Nitrate of Silver (Lunar Caustic), 4 grains. 

Distilled Water, 1 ounce. 

One of the most painful, and sometimes most troublesome conse- 
quences of gonorrhea, is inflammation of the testicle. This affec- 
tion, usually termed " swelled testicle," may occur at any period of 
the disease ; and although its occurrence may be favored by im- 
proper treatment or mode of living, is in most cases independent of 
such causes. It arises from extension of the inflammation from the 
urethra down the spermatic canals to one or both testicles, but usu- 
ally attacks only one at a time. It is best to be avoided by careful 
attention to regular living and quiet, during the inflammatory stage 
oi the gonorrhea. It commences sometimes with pain in the tes- 
ticle itself, and sometimes the pain is felt first in the groin, in the 
situation of the spermatic cord. If its approach is thus perceived, 
the application of numerous leeches in the groin, or of cupping to 
the loins, with rest in the recumbent posture, and suspension of the 
scrotum in a proper bandage, will frequently prevent the extension 
of the inflammation to the testicle itself. Should the inflammation, 
however, have reached that organ, or commenced in it, the most im- 
mediate relief will be obtained by carefully surrounding the swelled 
testicle with narrow strips of adhesive plaster, together with per- 
fect rest, the testicle being further supported in a bandage ; and 
should the pain extend to the groin, the application of leeches in 
that situation will usually put a stop to the disease in a few days. 
As many, however, will be unable to apply the strapping in a proper 
manner, and as it is only applicable in the early stage of the affec- 
tion, it may be as well to say that usually the inflammation will sub- 
side spontaneously in a few days, if the patient will keep quietly ly- 
ing on his back with the testicles supported in a proper bandage, 
and fomented either with hot water, and cool with cold water, as 
his feelings may dictate. The bowels should be kept open by saline 
purgatives, such as Epsom salts, etc., and the diet should be low. 



DISEASES OF THE UKINARY AJSD GENITAL OEGANS. 255 

If there is much pain in the groin, flank, and back, leeches should 
be applied in the former situation, or cupping in the latter, and a 
full dose of Dover's powder should be taken at bed-time. In ex- 
tremely painful cases, great relief will be experienced by the appli- 
cation of a tobacco poultice to the scrotum. This may be made by 
mixing equal parts of tobacco and meal together, and moistened 
with hot water. 

Mercury is never requisite in this affection, and leeches should 
never be applied to the scrotum itself. The swelling of the testicle 
in most cases, leaves hard swelling on the back of the gland, which 
is gradually removed in process of time ; but during its existence, 
care should be taken to keep the testicles well supported in a sus- 
pensory bandage, as relapses under neglect of this precaution are 
not unfrequent. 

In phymosis, the glans of the penis frequently becomes excori- 
ated from the irritation of the matter from the urethra, and warty 
excrescences grow between the glans and the foreskin. In order to 
prevent such effects, great cleanliness should be observed, the fore- 
skin should be drawn back as far as possible and the matter washed 
off, and warm water should be thrown under the foreskin several 
times a day by means of a syringe. If excoriation or warts exist, 
black wash will be of the greatest service — it should be used in a 
similar manner to the warm water. Black wash is made by mixing 
thirty grains of calomel with two ounces of lime water — to be well 
shaken when used. The bowels should be kept gently open by 
means of the common black draught. 

Treatment of Chordee. — We have observed before that chordee 
consists in a painful erection of the penis, produced by the non-ex- 
tension of the spongy cellular body surrounding the urethra, while 
all the other parts of the penis are distended with blood. This 
want of harmony between the parts occasions the penis to be bent 
downward, and also the pain which is experienced by the patient 
during an erection. In order to obviate this, the penis should be 
rubbed with strong solutions of opium, such as the tincture ; or 
pledgets of linen, wet with the tincture of opium, should be con- 
stantly applied, taking care to change them as often as they become 
warm ; or it may be rubbed with the following application, which is 
found of great service in this affection : 



256 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

Extract of Belladonna, 2 drams. 

Camphor, 10 grains. 

Rub up the camphor into a fine powder, having previously dropped 
on it a few drops of spirit of wine, then add the belladonna ; about 
the size of a small pea of this, rubbed along under the surface of 
the penis, and upon the frsenum and bridle, quickly brings down an 
erection and relieves pain. All lascivious ideas should be dismissed 
from the mind. The bowels should be kept open by a mild aperi- 
ent. As the erections generally come on more frequently when the 
patient becomes hot in bed, the best means of temporarily relieving 
it will be to bend the penis downward with the hand, and to apply 
cold ; but the most certain means of preventing it will be to admin- 
ister at bed-time the following draught : 

Tincture of Opium, 20 drops. 

Camphor Mixture, 1^ ounces. 

Mix. This draught to be taken at bed-time, and to be repeated in 
three or four hours, if not asleep or if in pain. 

In the treatment of sympathetic buboes accompanying gonor- 
rhea, little will be required to be done, as they depend on the 
amount of inflammation in the urethra, and will increase and di- 
minish in size according as the original disease becomes better or 
worse ; however, as they sometimes enlarge very much and become 
very painful, it may be found necessary to apply leeches once or 
twice a week. The patient should rest as much as possible, and 
pledgets of linen wetted in Goulard water should be constantly ap- 
plied. The bowels should be kept freely open. If they should not 
yield to this treatment, but should proceed to suppuration, poul- 
tices should be constantly applied until matter is formed, when it 
may be evacuated by the lancet 

In cases of retention of urine following gonorrhea, the patient 
should be placed in a warm bath, and a large dose of laudanum ad- 
ministered. If this treatment does not succeed in relieving the 
bladder, the catheter should be introduced. 

SYPHILIS, OR POX, 

Is usually accompanied by three distinct characters of sores or ul- 



DISEASES OF THE URINARY AND GENITAL ORGANS. 257 

cers : first, the common primary venereal sore ; secondly, the pha- 
gedenic or sloughing sore ; and thirdly, the true syphilitic or Hun- 
terian chancre. The common venereal sore usually appears in three 
or four days after connection ; the patient feels an itching about the 
tip of the penis, finds either a pustule or an ulcer, situated either 
upon the prepuce externally or internally, at its junction with the 
glans, or on the glans itself, or at the orifice of the urethra at its 
union with the bridle or frsenum. 

The form of this ulcer is generally round or circular, and is hol- 
lowed out, presenting a dirty, brown, hard, lardaceous surface, 
which secretes a puriform matter. When this ulcer is situated on 
the prepuce, it becomes raised, particularly at its edges ; when in 
the fossa, or at the root of the glans of the penis, it is ragged ; and 
when on the glans, it is excavated. Its progress is first destruc- 
tive, and then suppurative ; and, if not interfered with in favorable 
cases, usually runs its course in about twenty days — the destructive 
or ulcerative stage lasting about ten days, and the granulating or 
healing stage lasting the remaining ten. This sore is unaccom- 
panied by any thickening or hardened base in the first stage, unless 
interfered with by mal-treatment, dissipation, or the abuse of caus- 
tic. This sore is frequently productive of swelling and inflamma- 
tion in the groin, and is followed by warts and growths of an un- 
healthy character situated between the thighs, purse, and lower 
parts of the body, and between the buttocks. 

Treatment. — In the first stage — that is, before the crust falls off, 
or where the ulcer is very small — the sore should be touched with 
lunar caustic ; this frequently stops the ulcerative stage, and causes 
it to take on a new action by which it heals ; the same application, 
but weaker, will be necessary if the sore becomes indolent. During 
the ulcerative stage, or that stage in which the ulcer increases in- 
stead of diminishes, great attention must be paid to cleanliness ; 
the sore should be washed three or four times a day with warm wa- 
ter, a piece of lint or fine linen, covered with spermaceti ointment, 
or wetted with black wash, should be applied to it after every wash- 
ing. The bowels should be kept open, and five grains of blue pill, 
or five grains of Plummer's pill, administered night and morning, 
taking care not to produce salivation. When the sore assumes an 
indolent character, great benefit will be derived from the applica- 
tion of the following wash : 



258 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

Lunar Caustic, 5 grains. 

Distilled Water, 1^ ounces. 

Mix. A piece of lint or linen, wetted in this lotion, to be applied 
to the sore three or four times a day. 

Black wash is the best application for those warts and growths 
which spring up about the anus and buttocks. The swelling in the 
groin, arising from the common venereal sore, seldom requires any 
treatment ; but if it should prove troublesome and painful, leeches 
may be applied, followed by fomentations and poultices. The pa- 
tient should rest as much as possible, and make use of a plain, un- 
stimulating diet. 

In the treatment of phagedenic or sloughing ulcer, no specific 
rules can be laid down, the sores at one time requiring a stimula- 
ting and at another time a soothing method of treatment. This 
sore usually commences from an excoriation, or a pustule, as in the 
case of common venereal sore, or it may follow that form of the 
disease. It is known by that process of extension by which its 
edges appear to melt away ; " the action is chiefly confined to the 
margin, which the destructive process having undermined, overlaps 
with an irregular and ragged edge." In this form of ulcer, the re- 
paratory action commences as soon as the destructive is exhausted, 
so that the two processes advance together at opposite edges, the 
sore ulcerating at one part and healing at another at the same time. 
In the commencement, the sore may be touched with nitric acid, or 
diluted nitric acid, upon two or three occasions, and if found not 
to agree, the stimulating treatment should be laid aside, and the 
soothing substituted. It may now be washed with warm water, 
and various applications tried, as it is impossible to say what form 
of wash will answer best. Those in most repute are the black 
wash, yellow wash (yellow wash is made by adding six grains of 
corrosive sublimate to four ounces of lime water), diluted nitric 
acid, Peruvian balsam, and solutions of the nitrate of silver. If the 
patient be of a full habit, he may lose blood from the arm with ad- 
vantage, and take salines and antimonials. If weak, he should live 
generously, and mercury should be administered with great caution. 

For the treatment of the true syphilitic or Hunterian chancre, 
mercury is the sheet anchor, and must be employed either inter- 
nally or externally, or, where circumstances require it, by both 
means. This sore, unlike the preceding, seldom appears before a 



DISEASES OF THE UKINARY AND GENITAL OBGANS. 259 

week or ten days, and is sometimes not detected for four or five 
weeks after connection. It appears in the form of a red, raw, su- 
perficial ulceration, placed on a circumscribed, elevated, hardened 
base. This base is firm, incompressible, and inelastic, and is as 
hard as cartilage ; it is destitute of pain and very slow in its pro- 
gress. This form of the disease is generally accompanied by true 
bubo — that is, inflammation of one or two glands in the groin, dis- 
tinct and circumscribed in their outline, and totally dissimilar to 
those swellings in the groin arising from gonorrhea or the common 
venereal sore. 

As soon as the sore is detected, the patient should commence 
taking five grains of blue pill, and a quarter of a grain of opium, 
made into a pill, night and morning ; and he may, at the same time, 
in order to bring the constitution as soon as possible under the in- 
fluence of mercury, rub in, twice a day, along the inside of the 
thigh, about the size of a nut, an ointment composed of blue or 
mercurial ointment and camphor. The following is the formula : 
Bub down twenty grains of camphor on a slate with a spatula, hav- 
ing previously saturated it with spirit of wine, and then mix it up 
with the mercurial ointment. This treatment should be continued 
only until the mouth and gums become slightly affected, when it 
should be left off for a short time. The patient should be kept un- 
der the influence of the medicine for three or four weeks, and then 
the decoction of sarsaparilla and the hydriodate of potash adminis- 
tered. Five grains of the latter, in a common-sized tumblerful of 
the former, may be taken three times a day, and continued for a 
month, according to circumstances. The sore, in the meantime, 
should be kept clean, and such applications employed as may hap- 
pen to agree with it best : these consist of washes of nitrate of sil- 
ver, black wash, and spermaceti ointment. 

When the ulcer cicatrizes, or heals, and any hardness remains, 
mercury should be given to promote its absorption, and the skin 
destroyed by the direct application of the nitrate of silver. 

When the disease has been neglected, or a sufficient quantity of 
mercury has not been given, the constitution becomes affected in a 
time varying from six weeks to three months, which manifests it- 
self by producing sore throat, disease of the skin, and inflammation 
of the eyes. These diseases must be severally treated by the rem- 
edies already recommended. 

When a bubo becomes troublesome and painful, it should be well 



260 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

leeched, fomented, and poulticed ; and should it proceed to suppu- 
ration, the matter must be let out by a free incision with a lancet, 
as soon as fluctuation is felt. 

During this disease, the patient should be warmly clad, he should 
rest as much as possible, and live on plain, unstimulating food. In 
the commencement, he should refrain entirely from spirits, wine, or 
fermented liquors ; he should not expose himself to wet, damp, or 
the night-air, and he should pay strict attention to his bowels. 

The syphilitic poison, when it has once entered into the system, 
is with great difficulty eliminated, and sometimes shows itself in 
children several generations removed from the person originally in- 
fected. It may be communicated by a pregnant woman to the child 
in her womb through the medium of her blood, by which the fetus 
is nourished ; and thus, as in numerous other cases of disease, the 
children suffer for the sins of the parent. 

On those parts which are essential to life, such as the brain, heart 
and abdominal viscera, this poison does not appear to be capable of 
exercising any destructive power ; but the bones, muscles, tendons, 
and skin readily partake of its malignant nature. Hence we see so 
many persons dragging out a wretched existence, a misery to them- 
selves and an eye-sore to society — left, as it were, by the Almighty 
to warn others against vicious practices, and point the moral of the 
preacher against vice and immorality. 



GENERAL ANATOMY OF THE HUMAN BODY. 261 



GENERAL ANATOMY OF THE HUMAN BODY. 



THE BONES. 



The number of bones in the human body is variable ; but in the 
adult they are reckoned at about two hundred and forty-four. They 
are equally divided into long, flat, and irregular — long, as in the 
thigh and leg ; flat, as in the skull and pelvis ; irregular, as in the 
hands and feet. Bones are covered with a peculiar membrane, 
called the periosteum, which serves to conduct the blood vessels 
and nerves. The osseous skeleton is divided into head, trunk, up- 
per and lower extremities. The trunk is divided into the spine, 
thorax, and pelvis. The thorax contains the principal organs of 
circulation and respiration, and is the largest of the three great 
cavities connected with the spine, and is formed by the sternum and 
costal cartilages in front, the twelve ribs on each side, and the dor- 
sal vertebrae behind. The sternum is a flat, narrow bone, situated 
in the anterior part of the thorax, and connected with the ribs by 
means of the costal cartilages. The ribs are twenty-four in num- 
ber, twelve on each side, of which the first seven are termed vete- 
bro-sternal, or true ribs, and are attached to the sternum ; three are 
attached to the costal cartilages, and are called vertebro-costal ; and 
two are termed vertebral or floating ribs, from their anterior ex- 
tremities being free. The pelvis, or lower cavity of the trunk, con 
sists of four bones : the os sacrum and os coccygis behind, and the 
two ossa innominata on either side. The os coccygis, which forms 
the terminal bone of the spine, is sometimes regarded, like the os 
sacrum, as composed of four false vertebrae, which are at first dis- 
tinct, but afterward become united. The ossa innominata are two 
irregularly-shaped bones, situated one on each side of the pelvis, 



262 



OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 



Fig. 75. 



and consisting of three parts — the ilium, ischium, and pubis, firmly- 
united in the adult, but distinct in the young subject. Each of the 
two upper extremities is composed of the bones of the arm, the 
forearm, and the hand, and is united to the trunk by means of the 
scapula and clavicle, which form the shoulder. The scapula is a 
fiat, triangularly-shaped bone, placed upon the upper and back part 

of the thorax. The clavicle, or col- 
lar bone, is a long bone, something 
in the form of the italic letter/, and 
situated between the top of the ster- 
num and the acromion process of 
the scapula. The arm has only one 
bone, the os humeri, which extends 
from the scapula to the bones of the 
forearm. The forearm consists of 
two bones, the radius and ulna, 
which are parallel, and play upon 
each other, thus admitting of freer 
motion in that part. The radius, so 
called from its resemblance to the 
spoke of a wheel, is situate on the 
outer side of the forearm. Its upper 
end is small, and forms only a small 
part of the elbow joint, while its 
lower extremity is large, and forms 
the chief part of the wrist joint. 
The ulna is placed at the inner side 
of the forearm, and differs from the 
radius in being larger at the upper 
than at the lower extremity. The 
bones of the hand are divided into 
the carpus, the metacarpus, and pha- 
langes. The bones of the carpus, or 
wrist, are eight small bones, arranged 
in two rows, the upper row compris- 
ing the scaphoid, semilunar, cuneiform, and pisiform ; the lower 
row comprising the trapezium, trapezoid, os magnum, and unciform. 
The metacarpal bones, or bones of the palm, are five in number, and 
correspond to the fingers. The phalanges, or bones of the fingers, 
are fourteen in number, each finger, with the exception of the 




The Human Skeleton. 



GENEKAL ANATOMY OF THE HUMAN BODY. 



263 




■m/ 



thumb (which has only two), having three of them. The upper and 
lower extremities bear a great resemblance to each other in the 
nature and form of their bones. Like the upper, each of the lower 
extremities consists of three distinct parts — the thigh, leg, and foot. 
The thigh is composed of a single Fig. 76. 

bone — the os femur, — which is the 
longest and largest in the body. The 
upper part forms a round head, 
which is inserted into a deep cup-like 
cavity of the os innominatum, called 
the acetabulum: the lower termi- 
nates in two protuberances, known 
as the inner and outer condyles, 
separated posteriorly by a deep fossa, 
called the inter-con dyloid. The leg 
consists of three bones — the patella, 
tibia, and fibula. The patella, or 
knee-pan, is a small, flat, triangular 
bone, of a spongy texture, situated 
at the anterior part of the knee-joint, 
between the femur and the tibia. The 
tibia and fibula in the leg resemble the radius and the ulna in the 
fore-arm : the tibia is, after the femur, the largest bone in the body. 
It is situate at the anterior and Fig 

inner side of the leg, articulating 
with the femur above and the as- 
tragalus below. The fibula is con- 
siderably smaller than the tibia. 
Its upper extremity is small, and 
placed below the level of the knee- 
joint, but the lower extremity pro- 
jects below the tibia, and forms 
the outer ankle. The foot, like the 
hand, is composed of three classes 
of bones — the tarsus, the metatar- 
sus, and the phalanges. The tarsus 
is composed of seven bones — the 
os calsis, astragalus, cuboid, sca- 
phoid, and three cuneiform. The metatarsal bones are long small 
bones, five in number, connected at the one extremity with the 



The Thorax. 




The Pelvis. 

a, os sacrum ; 6, the iliac ; c, fossae, forming 
the lateral boundaries of the false pelvis ; g, 
the acetabulum ; d, os pubis ; e, ischium ; /, 
tuberosity of the ischium. 



264 



OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 




13 I4~ II 

Vertical Section of the Ankle Joint and Foot of the 
Right Side, 

showing the formation of joints, the synovial capsules, and 
ligaments. The references are not given, as difficult and 
needless to remember. 



tarsal, at the other with the phalangeal bones : these last go to form 
the toes, each of which has three, except the great toe, which has 
only two. 

FlQ - 78 - The different bones 

of the skeleton are 
connected together 
in various ways, and 
such connections 
are termed articula- 
tions. They are of 
various kinds, but 
are usually divided 
into immovable, 
movable, and mixed. 
Immovable articula- 
tions exist where 
flat and broad bones 
are united to inclose 
important organs, as in the cranium and pelvis. In some parts 
the edges indent or interlock each other ; in others they are brought 
into close contact, or are united together by a thin layer of cartilage. 
The movable articulations are of various kinds, according to the 
kind of motion required. In such cases, the bony surfaces brought 
into contact are covered with cartilage, bound together by liga- 
ments, and lined by synovial membrane. Mixed articulation pre- 
vails where only a slight degree of motion is required, combined 
with great strength, as in the vertebrae. 

Bone is a highly organized and complex substance. It consists 
of animal and earthy, and saline materials, in the proportion of about 
one-third of the former to two-thirds of the latter; or, to speak 
more strictly, according to chemical analysis, we may say that in 
100-00 parts there are 33*30 of cartilage and blood-vessels, 51*04 
phosphate of lime, 11 30 carbonate of lime, 2*00 fluate of lime, and 
2 36 magnesia and soda. 

In the human frame the bones are of various forms and degrees 
of density, or hardness. Thus, in the limbs, they are hollow cylin- 
ders, combining lightness with strength ; in the body and head they 
are chiefly flattened and arched, forming cases for the internal vis- 
cera ; in the spine and extremities, they are in many pieces, to facili- 
tate the bending of the numerous joints. Their connections with 



GENERAL ANATOMY OF THE HUMAN BODY. 



265 



each other are accomplished and preserved in many ways. In all 
bones, whether hollow or solid, the outer portion is harder than the 
inner; many of them are spongy, 
or, as it is scientifically termed, 
cancellated, and most of them have 
minute irregular cells scattered 
through their texture. At those 
extremities, where a smooth and 
elastic substance is required for 
the joints, most bones have a cov- 
ering of cartilage. Bones are first 
developed in a gelatinous form, 
which hardens into cartilage, and 
then receives the deposit of lime, 
by which they are rendered firm; 
sometimes there is a deficiency of 
the earthy deposit, and thus the 
bones are bent and yielding. When 
there is too much lime the bones 
are too brittle and easily broken. 
One of the principal diseases to 3 
which the bones are subject is 
Caries. It acts on the periosteum 
like ulceration on the soft parts 
of the body. Another disease of 
the bones is Necrosis. It is, as 
its name implies, actual death of 
the osseous substance. Both these 
diseases are characterized by a 
constant gnawing pain in the 
bone. Swelling and redness over 
the seat of the disease ensues; 
there is a formation of matter and 
a discharge of a foul, foetid char- 
acter, communicating a dark stain 
to the dressings. Several open- 
ings in the skin may occur along 
the course of the diseased bone, of which occasionally small pieces 
may come away with the discharge. 

Many minute blood-vessels pass into and through the porous tis- 




Bones of the Arm. Bones of the Leg. 



266 



OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 



sues of the bones, and hence they are liable to inflammation and 

congestion, both acute and chronic, resulting 1 in softening, and ulcer- 
ation or mortification, passing thus into caries and necrosis. That 
which is commonly called a White Swelling is a result of chronic 
inflammation. It ends in caries of the spongy texture 
of the ends of the bone, and destruction of their carti- 
laginous lining. Abscess of bone sometimes results 
from inflammation, and especially after acute disease, 
such as small-pox. A prominent symptom is a fixed 
pain in one spot, in addition to inflammatory enlarge- 
ment. 

Exfoliation is the death of the outer bony layer only. 
It is generally caused by some injury to the bone from 
a blow or a graze, or the amputating-knife. In this 
case the shell dies, and is replaced by fresh osseous 
matter coming up from beneath by granulations 
pushing the dead bone from its place in thin flakes or exfoliations. 




Bones of the 
Foot. 



THE MUSCLES. 

These are the fleshy portions of the animal frame. It is by means 
of the muscular fibres that its various motions are effected, — all 
flesh being, in fact, Muscle devoted to this purpose. These mus- 
cles are bundles of fibres of a tubular structure, bound together by 
what is called areolar tissue. They are endowed with the property 
of contractibility, which operates under the influence of certain 
stimuli; but they contract after different manners, some doing so 
simultaneously, some alternately, and others successively. Some act 
in accordance with, and some altogether independent of, the will ; 
and their strength and endurance depends chiefly upon the amount 
of nervous energy brought to bear upon them. A muscle never 
gets tired, however violently or continuously it may be exercised. 
The exhaustion is in the brain, not in the mechanism which it sets 
to work. 

The action of the heart and lungs is unceasing, and this is pro- 
duced by muscular contraction and expansion, and this is indepen- 
dent 01 the will ; therefore it causes no sense of weariness. When 
we desire to walk or run, or take any kind of exercise, it is the 
brain that, through the nerves, stimulates certain muscles into action 
and keeps them so, untii the desire for such action ceases. In this 



GENERAL ANATOMY OF THE HUMAN BODY. 



267 



case, we have fatigue and a sense of 
exhaustion supervening, sooner or later, 
according to the violence of the exer- 
cise, or the amount of nervous energy 
which the person possesses, and this 
is his physical strength. 

The muscles, then, are the moving 
organs of the animal frame. They 
constitute, by their size and number, 
the great bulk of the body, upon 
which they bestow form and sym- 
metry. In the limbs, they are situated 
around the bone, which they invest 
and defend, while they form to some 
of the joints a principal protection. 
In the trunk, they are spread out to 
enclose cavities and constitute a de- 
fensive wall, capable of yielding to in- 
ternal pressures and again returning 
to its original position. 

Their color presents the deep red 
which is characteristic of flesh, and 
their form is variously modified to ex- 
ecute the varied range of movements 
which they are required to effect. 

Muscle is composed of a number of 
parallel fibres placed side by side, and 
supported and held together by a deli- 
cate web of areolar tissue ; so that, if 
it were possible to remove the muscular 
substance, we should have remaining a 
beautiful reticular framework, possess- 
ing the exact form and size of the 
muscle, without its color and solidity. 



Fig. 82. 




Diagram showing the Eelation 
of the Bones to the Flesh. 



the muscular fibre ceases, and the 



a, The Skull ; b the Face ; c, Cervi- 
cal Vertebrae, or ISTeck-Bones ; d, Breast 
Towards the extremity of the Organ Vertigo ;e, Lumbar Vertebrae, or Spine; 

/, Os Sacrum, or Bump-Bone; <7. Coccyx; 
h, Ilium, or Haunch-Bone ; i, Sternum, 
or Breast-Bone ; k. Ribs , i. Clavicle, or 
Collar-Bone ; m, Scapula, or Blade-Bone; n, Humerus, or Arm-Bone; o, Radius : or Circular- 
Bone of Forearm ; p, Ulna, or Large Bone of the Forearm ; q, Carpus, or Hand-Bones ; r, Pha- 
langes, or Fingers ; s, Femur, or Thigh-Bone ; t, Patella, or Knee-Bone ; u, Tibia, or Shin-Bone ; 
v, Fibula, or Small Bone of the Leg ; u, w, Tarsus, or Foot-Bone; x, Caicium, or Heel-Bone; z, z, 
Phalanges, or Toes. 



268 



OUK FAMILY DOCTOR. 



Fig. 83. 



fibrous structure becomes aggregated and modified, so as to con- 
stitute those glistening fibres and cords by which the muscle is tied 
to the surface of bone, and which are called tendons. Almost every 
muscle of the body is connected with bone, either by tendinous 

fibres, or by an aggregation of 
these fibres constituting a tendon, 
and the union is so firm, that, 
under extreme violence, the bone 
itself breaks rather than permit 
the separation of the tendon from 
its attachment. 

Muscles present various modifi- 
cations in the arrangement of their 
fibres, in relation to their tendi- 
nous structure. Sometimes they 
are longitudinal, and terminate 
at each extremity in tendon, the 
entire muscle being fusiform, or 
spindle-shaped ; in other situations 
they are disposed like the rays of 
a fan, converging to a tendinous 
point, and constituting a radiate 
muscle. Again, they are penni- 
form, converging like the barbs 
of a feather to one side of a ten- 
don, which runs the whole length 
of the muscle, or bi-penniform, 
converging to both sides of the 
tendon. In other muscles, the 
fibres pass obliquely from the sur- 
face of a tendinous expansion 
spread out on one side to that of 
another spread out on the oppo- 
site side. When composed of pen- 
niform or bi-penniform fasciculi, 
they are termed compound mus- 
cles. 

It may be interesting, as well as 
useful, to enter a little more fully 
into the structure of muscle, which, 




The Muscular System. 



a, Muscles of the Head ; b, Visual Muscles ; 
c, Cervical Muscles ; d, Combination of the 
Cervical Muscles j e ; Pectoral Muscles ; /, 
Dorsal Muscles ; g, Abdominal Muscles ; h, 
Muscles of the Pelvis ; i, Shoulder Muscles , 
I, Muscles of the Upper Arm ; m, Anterior 
Muscles of the Forearm. 



GENERAL ANATOMY OF THE HUMAN BODY. 



269 



Fig. 84. 




Muscular Fibrils. 



as before stated, is composed of bundles of fibres enclosed in an 
investment or sheath of areolar membrane, which is continuous with 
the framework of the muscular fibres, each bundle of which, termed 
& fasciculus, is composed of a number of smaller bundles, and these 
of single fibres, which, from their minute size, 
and independent appearance, have been called 
ultimate fibres; although microscopic examina- 
tion informs us that each one of these is itself a 
fasciculus, made up of ultimate fibrils enclosed 
in an extremely delicate sheath called the myolemma or sarcolemma. 
The appearance of one of these bundles of fibrils, as magnified, is 
shown in Fig. 84. 

Of the ultimate muscular fibre there are two sorts in the animal 
economy, viz., that of voluntary or animal life, called striated muscle, 
and that of involuntary or organic life, termed smooth muscle. The 
former is known by its size, its uniformity of calibre, and especially 
by its transverse markings, which occur at minute and 
regular distances. It also presents markings, or strise, 
in a longitudinal direction, which indicate the existence 
of fibrillse within the sheath, or myolemma, which is 
thin, transparent, and elastic. The ultimate fibres, or 
fasciculi, are polyhedral, or many sided, in shape, this 
form being due to mutual pressure ; and that the sizes 
differ in different classes, genera, and even sexes of 
animals. The ultimate fibrils of animal life are beaded 
filaments, presenting a regular succession of segments 
and constrictions, the latter being narrower than the former, and 
the component substance probably less dense. The arrangement 
of a bundle of these fibrils in an ultimate fibre, is such that all the 
segments and constrictions correspond, and in this manner give 
rise to the alternate light and dark lines of the transverse striae. 
The beautiful regularity of this arrangement may be seen by Fig. 85, 
in which B represents the ultimate fibril of animal life, and C the 
union of such in an ultimate fibre. 

We have mentioned that the ultimate fibril of animal life, although 
cylindrical, becomes polyhedral from pressure, when forming part 
of an ultimate fibre, or fasciculus. It measures in diameter l-2000th 
of an inch, and is composed of a succession of cells connected by 
thin flat surfaces. These cells are filled with a transparent sub- 
stance which has been called myoline. It differs in density in 




Fibre-Fibril. 



270 



OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 



-2 



Fig. 86. 
B c 



= 2 x 



!;";■■ 'ii ■:'(■■ 



different cells, and this circumstance imparts a peculiarity of char- 
acter to certain of them, and causes the structures which they form 
to assume, under the microscope, a very beautiful and remarkable 
appearance, such as is represented in Fig. 86. 

Let us explain a little more clearly how this is caused. When a 
fibril in its passive state is examined, there will be seen a series of 
dark oblong bodies, separated by light spaces of equal length. Now 
the dark bodies are each composed of a pair of cells, containing the 
densest form of myoline, and are hence highly refractive, while the 
transparent spaces are constituted by a pair of cells, containing a 
more fluid myoline. When the fibrils are collected together so as to 
form an ultimate fibre, the appearance of the cell is altered; those 
which look dark in the single fibril, that is, the most refractive, being 
ranged side by side, constitute the bright band, 
while the transparent cells of the single fibril are 
the shaded striae of fibre. When the ultimate 
fibril is very much stretched, the two highly re- 
refractive cells appear each to be double, while 
the transparent space is evidently composed of 
four cells. This explanation may enable us to 
understand the annexed diagram (Fig. 86), to 
which we will now direct our attention. A is 
the ultimate muscular fibril, in a state of partial 
contraction ; B the same, in a state of ordinary 
relaxation, in which we will suppose it to measure 
Fibrils and Fibres. l_2000th of an inch in diameter; C is the same 
fibril, stretched to the l-5000th of an inch round ; D represents the 
ultimate fibres, and shows the manner in which the transverse strise 
are produced by the collocation of the fibrils. In 1, 1, we have a 
pair of the highly refractive cells, which form the dark parts of the 
single fibril A, but the bright parts of the fibre D ; in the stretched 
fibril C, each cell appears to be double. 2, 2, is the pair of less 
refractive cells, light in the single fibril, but dark in fibre. The 
transverse septum between these cells is very conspicuous ; and in 
C two other septa are seen to exist, making the number of trans- 
parent cells four. 

Very different from all this in its form and arrangement, is the 
ultimate fibre of organic life, it being a simple homogeneous filament 
much smaller than the fibre of animal life, — flat, smooth, and without 
transverse markings. It is of a fusiform shape, and various length, 



Nwjjjjjnjjjjjj 



ffl 



ir~r-^ FT., j i 

ttTtt 



GENERAL ANATOMY OF THE HUMAN BODY. 



271 




Muscular 

Fibres. 



and consists of a thin external membrane, blended with a soft, 
homogeneous, or finely granular contained substance. Fig. 87 repre- 
sents muscular fibres of organic life — D from the urinary bladder, 
and E from the stomach, both magnified 600 times, Fig. 87. 
linear measure ; the diameter of these two fibres midway 
between the thick parts, or nuclei, being l-4750th of an 
inch. 

This kind of muscle is distributed very abundantly in 
the animal frame, and is met with in all situations where 
a distinct contractile power, independent of mere elas- 
ticity, is required. 

THE ARTERIES 

are vessels which convey the blood from the heart, — 
formerly supposed, from their being found empty after 
death to contain only air. The arterial system of the 
human frame is that which performs one of the most 
important functions on which vitality depends. Proceeding directly 
from the heart, and ramifying in every direction, through all the 
various tissues of the body, it conveys the blood, after it has received 
a supply of oxygen from the lungs, and been passed into the great 
organ with which the arteries are connected, wheresoever it is re- 
quired for the purposes of life. These arteries are membraneous 
cylindrical tubes, composed of three coats, viz., the external, which 
is firm and strong, formed of tissues which take a longitudinal or 
oblique direction ; the middle or contractile coat, which is thick 
and laminated, that is, composed of laminm, scales or plates arranged 
in layers ; and the internal coat which is the thinnest of the three, 
and is easily broken in a transverse direction. Much might be said 
about the peculiarities of these several coats, but the above is per- 
haps sufficient for our purpose. The arteries are so constructed 
as to be capable of considerable extension, and likewise of bearing 
a great amount of strain and pressure, to which they are occasionally 
subjected, and which results sometimes in a rupture. 

The whole of the arteries of what is called the systemic circula- 
tion, proceed from a single trunk termed the aorta. This main 
trunk or channel proceeds from the left ventricle of the heart, and 
contains the pure arterial blood, known by its bright red color, and 
issuing, when it makes its escape at any accidental opening, in jets, 
in accordance with the pulsations. From these the smaller arteries 



272 



OUR FAMILY DOCTOB. 



are given off as branches, dividing and subdividing to their ultimate 
ramifications, constituting the great arterial tree, of some of the 
principal branches of which, we here present our readers with, a cut, 
which represents the large vessels at the root of the heart and lungs. 
It is necessary here to refer to the minute explanation of the figured 
points of figure 88. 

FlG. 88. 1, The ascending aorta ; 2, the transverse 

portion of the arch of the same ; 3, its thoracic 
portion, passing through the chest ; 4, the ar- 
teriainnominata springing out of the arch, and 
divided into the common carotid ; 5, which 
again divides at 6, into the external and inter- 
nal carotid, and 7 the right subclavian artery, 
which passes into the auxiliary artery , 8, whose 
extent is indicated by the dotted lines ; this 
again runs into the brachial artery, which 
forms the channel of supply to £he right arm. 
The two lines 10 are a pair of nerves called the 
right and left pneumogristric ,■ 11 is the left 
common carotid, and 12 the left subclavian, 
becoming auxiliary and brachial in its course, 
like its fellow on the opposite side ; all these 
belong to the greater systemic circulation, as 
do also 21, intercostal arteries, and the branches 
from the front of the aorta above and below 3, 
which are pericardine and sesophagial, pertain- 
ing to the pericardium and the sesophagus, 
and abdoman. 

We now go back on the diagram to ~No. 3, 
the trunk of the pulmonary artery, which 
emanating from the right ventricle of the 
heart conveys the impure blood, returned 
there by the veins to the lungs for aeration. 
This is the main channel of the lesser or pul- 
monary circulation, it is connected with the 
concavity of the arch of the aorta by a fibrous 
cord, called the ductus arteriosus. 
14, the left pulmonary artery, and 15 the 
right; 16 the trachea, or windpipe, the passage which communicates with the lungs, will 
serve to show the relative positions of these arteries; 17 and 18 are the right and left bron- 
chus, and 19 are the pulmonary veins ; the rest of the numbers indicate the roots of the 
lungs. 

The arteries do not, as was at one time supposed, run immediately 
into the veins, but are connected with them by what are called the 
capillaries, a hair-like network of vessels so minute that it requires 
a microscope to make them out ; these are, it is said, about l-3000th 
of an inch in diameter; and they are distributed through every part 
of the body so thickly as to render it impossible to pass a small 
needle into the flesh without wounding several of them ; hence the 
flow of blood from a prick ; it is through this medium that all the 
phenomena of nutrition and secretion are performed ; they are all 




The Arterial System. 



GENERAL ANATOMY OF THE HUMAN BODY. 



273 



Fig. 89. 



small alike, and are joined on the one hand with the terminal rami- 
fications of the arteries, and on the other with the minute radicles 
of the Veins. 

The capillary vessels have but one coat, which 
is transparent and fibreless ; as they approach 
the arteries and veins this coat becomes thicker, 
and, in accordance with the substance thereof, 
they are distinguished as fine or coarse ; the 
latter gradually augmenting in size and com- 
plexity of structure become what are called 
transitional vessels. The following is the cut 
of a minute artery from the brain shewing its 
transition into capillary vessels. 

The capillaries are most abundant in the lungs, 
liver, kidneys, and other secreting glands, also 
in the skin, and mucus membrane ; and they 
are smallest and least abundant in the muscles, 
nerves, organs of sense, and those tissues where 
nutrition only is to be accomplished ; they are 
large in the bones, but not numerous, interweav- 
ing, as in many parts they do, into a minute Coarse capillary, the thick 

. , n t -m mi 1 i 1 Goa ^ being represented hy 

network called a IMexus. 1 he extreme beauty the double lines of contour. 




Artery from the Brain. 



1. Minute artery. 
Transitional capillary. 



of arterial arrangement will be best exhibited by 4. Fine capillary, the black 
Fig. 90, showing the course anc 
the Superior Mesenteric Artery. 



■ /• marks indicate the position 

Fig. 90, snowing the course and distribution oi of 



certain nuclei dispersed 
over the inner surfaces of 
capillaries, transitional 

Even the non-professional reader will see at a vessels, arteries and veins 
glance how admirable is the arrangement of the constit ^ tin s *?.*• *"« 

& ° latter the e"pithitial layer 

various tissues and organs, around which the of tne inner coat, 
arteries wind and ramify, communicating with and supporting 
each other, and conveying the vital fluid in every direction : truly 
we are fearfully and wonderfully made. 

A particular description of all the several arteries could scarcely 
be looked for in a work like the present. It has already been seen 
that they are very numerous, although we have alluded to but few 
of them comparatively; some of them lie deep amid the internal 
viscera ; others, as the femoral, passing down the thigh, the tem- 
poral, which traverses the forehead, the carotid, in the neck, and the 
bronchial, and other arteries of the arm, which are most likely to be 
wounded in the act of venesection, come very near to the surface, in 



274 



OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 



some cases protected from injury only by the loose ariolo-fibrous 

investment which separates all 
arteries from the surrounding tis- 
sues and is called a sheath, and 
the skin : in such positions it is 
that the medical practitioner ap- 
plies to them for information 
respecting the action of the heart, 
that great index of the state of the 
system, whose every beat, or act 
of forcing out the blood, they re- 
cord by a distinct Pulsation. 



THE VEINS. 

These are the vessels which re- 
turn the blood to the auricles of 
the heart, after it has been circu- 
lated by the arteries through the 
various tissues of the body. They 
are much thinner in substance 
than the arteries, so that when 
emptied of their blood they are 
flattened and collapsed. 

Arteries are the channels through 

which blood passes from the heart 

to the various parts of the body. 

Veins are the channels by which 

to the lungs, to be purified, and 




The Superior Mesenteric Artery. 

A, is the decending portion of the Duo- 
denum ; B, is a transverse section of the 
same ; C, the Pancreas ; D, Jejunum ; E, 
Ilium ; ~F, Coecum, and Appendix Vermi- 
formis ; Gr, Ascending Colon ; H, Trans- 
verse Colon ; I, Descending Colon ; J", Su- 
perior Mesenteric Artery ; K, Colica Media ; 
L, tlie hranch which Inosculates (or joins 
hy little mouths) with the Colica Sinistra ; 
M, Inferior Pancreatic Duodenum ; !N", 
Colica Dextra ; O, Ilio Colica ; P, Vasa In- 
testini Tenous. 

it returns to that organ, and 



again rendered fit for its vital purposes. These two different chan- 
nels of circulation do not communicate directly with each other, but 
are connected by the minute branches which they each throw out, 
and which are called capillaries. These ramify all through the ex- 
tremities, and all over the surfaces of the body, conveying arterial 
and taking up venous blood, which is passed into the smaller veins, 
thence into the larger, and so proceeds upward to the great fountain 
from which it set out, constantly receiving fresh accessions from the 
tributary veins which pour into the main channels on every side. 
Veins admit of a threefold division — into superficial, deep, and 
sinuses. 



GENERAL ANATOMY OF THE HUMAN BODY. 



275 



Fig 



Superficial Veins return the blood from the integument and super- 
ficial structures, and take their course between the layers of the 
upper fascia. They then pierce the deep fascia, in the most conve- 
nient and protected situation, and terminate 
in the 

Deep Veins, which are situated among the 
deeper structures of the body, and generally 
in close proximity with arteries. In the 
limbs they are enclosed in the same sheath 
with these vessels : these return the blood 
from the capillaries of the deep tissues. 

Sinuses differ from these veins in their 
structure, and also in their mode of distribu- 
tion, being confined to special organs, and 
situated within their substances. The prin- 
cipal venous sinuses are those of the dura 
mater, diploe, cancellus structure of bones, 
and uterus. 

One very remarkable feature of veins is 
their numerous valves, which are composed 
of a thin stratum of nucleated areolar tissue 
mingled with fine elastic fibres, and coated 
on the two surfaces with fine elongated cells. 
The segments, or flaps, of these valves are 
semi-lunar in form, and arranged in pairs, 

one on either side of the vessel generally, but nar ; 4, the Posterior ulnar; 
sometimes there is a single flap which has a 5 . ^ Trunk, formed by their 

° . - 1 union ; 6, the Basilic, which at 

spiral direction, and occasionally there are i penetrates the deep fascia ; 
three. The free border of the valvular flaps f' point of communication be- 

*- tween the deep veins of the 
IS Concave, and directly forwards, SO that forearm and the upper part 

while the current of blood is permitted to ° f the MedL ™; ^ Median 

n £ n , n ,, , . ., n Cephalic ; 10, Median Basilic ; 

now freely towards the heart, the valves are n, a convexity of the deep 
distended and the current intercepted, if the fasoia > form ed by the Bra- 

, p » ,, -, ., . , chial Artery; 12, External 

stream trom fullness of the veins above, or Cutaneous Nerve, which 
other causes, should turn back. When we i» erc es the deep fascia, and 

^~^~.:^~ J.-L i. j.i p ji dividing into two branches, 

consider that the course of the venous cur- passea beMnd the Medism 

rent is upward, and SO Opposed to the law of Cephalic Vein ; 13, Internal 
™..~ "x j.- in 1 ,1 • -, Cutaneous Xerve, dividing 

giavitation, we shall see at once the wisdom into branches, and passing i£ 
of such an arrangement. On page 184 will fr01)t of tlie Median Basilic; 

■ip -1 j_p i /»j-ii 1 i-T 14,Tntercosto Humeral Nerve; 

be found a CUt Of a Valve of the heart, which i 5) Spiral Cutaneous Nerve. 




The Principal Veins 

in the Forearm and Bend 

of the Elbow. 

1, the Kadial Vein; 2, the 
Cephalic; 3, the Anterior TJ1- 



276 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

will give a good idea of the general conformation of those of the 
veins. In those of the extremities, particularly the deeper ones, 
they are most numerous. In the portal and cerebral, and very small 
veins, and those of the viscera, they are generally absent, and alto- 
gether so in the large trunks. 

THE GLANDS. 

A gland is an organ of the body, in which secretion is carried 
on, and which consists of a congerie of blood-vessels, nerves, and 
absorbents. 

There are two primary divisions under which the glands are com- 
monly placed. These are — First, those. employed in secreting some 
particular fluid for the use of the body, such as the Liver, which 
secretes bile, and purifies the blood; the Kidneys, which secrete 
urine ; and the Salivary Glands, which secrete the saliva. Second, 
the Absorbent Glands, and vessels whose office is to carry off the 
waste materials of the machine. The JPancreas and the Spleen 
should also be placed in the first of these divisions, although their 
peculiar offices in the animal economy is somewhat obscure. 

THE BLOOD. 

The blood is a red fluid circulating through the heart, arteries, 
and veins of animal bodies, serving for the nourishment of all their 
parts, and the support of life. This nutritive fluid, called scientific- 
ally the Liquor Sanguinis, consists, firstly, of water, holding, in a 
dissolved condition, fibrine, albumen, potassium, and sodium, toge- 
ther with phosphoric acid and other substances; secondly, of cor- 
puscles, or globules, which float in the liquor sanguinis. When 
drawn from the body, the blood undergoes a remarkable change. 
By degrees it gelatinizes, and forms spontaneously coagulum and 
serum. Coagulum consists of the fibrine and the corpuscles; 
serum, of water, albumen, and the various saline matters. The 
corpuscles are of two kinds — red and white, the red being the more 
numerous. 

Blood is termed arterial or venous, according to the vessel in 
which it circulates. Arterial blood is a florid red, with a stronger 
odor and less specific gravity than the venous fluid. Venous blood 
is of a dark purple. The scarlet, or arterial blood, which is one 
degree warmer than venous blood, owes its color to its undergoing 



GENERAL ANATOMY OF THE HUMAN BODY. 



277 




contact with atmospheric air in the lungs. It circulates in the pul- 
monary veins, the left cavities of the heart, and the arteries, by 
which it is distributed to the different organs throughout the body. 
The dark purple blood circulates in the veins, in the right cavities 
of the heart, the pulmonary artery, and the lungs. There is, again, a 
difference between arterial and venous Fig, 92. 

blood in respect to the gases which 
they contain. The first holds a supply 
of oxygen ; the second is rendered im- 
pure by the carbonic acid with which 
it is loaded. 

Blood is the product of the elabora- 
tion of chyle, and acquires its nutritive 
and life-giving qualities in respiration. 
By means of the arterial vessels it pene- 
trates 'to all the organs, distributing 
nutrition to every organic tissue. It is, 
moreover, the principal source of ani- 
mal heat ; from it, also, the secretive 
organs derive their various products, 
such as saliva, bile, urine, &c. The 
average quantity of blood in an adult man has been calculated at 
twenty -eight pounds, or pints. It has been shown that the compo- 
sition of the blood undergoes a change in various diseases; and, 
after repeated bleedings, the number of corpuscles becomes perma- 
nently diminished. The color, as well as the composition of the 
blood, varies in different sections of the animal kingdom : red in the 
vertebrates and annelides; white and transparent as water in in- 
sects and crustaceans ; bluish-white in mollusca ; yellowish in holo- 
thurians and some other invertebrates. This difference in color 
arises from the corpuscles, which are in some cases red, and in others 
white or straw-colored, or bluish-white. 

The chemical constituents of blood, when in a healthy condition, 
are — albumen, fibrin, hsematin or coloring matter, oleic, stearic, lactic, 
phosphoric, sulphuric, and hydrochloric acids, in combination with 
soda, potash, ammonia, lime, magnesia, and a small portion of phos- 
phorized fat. The blood also contains oxygen, nitrogen, and car- 
bonic acid. In considering the chemical constitution of the blood, 
it maybe regarded as consisting of two parts — the liquor sanguinis 
and the blood corpuscles floating therein. The liquor sanguinis is 



01 

m 

ii 



Corpuscles of the Blood. 

1, 2, 1, Blood Corpuscles, as seen on 
their flat surface and edge; 2, Con- 
geries of Blood Corpuscles in col- 
umns. In coagulating, the Corpuscles 
apply themselves to each other, so as 
toiesemble piles of money. 1 (below), 
Blood Globules, or Cells, containing 
smaller cells, which are set free by 
the dissolution of the containing 
ceU. 



278 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

composed of serum, holding a very small quantity of fibrin in solu- 
tion. Taking the blood as a whole, Liebig gives its component parts 
as follows : — 

Water, 80 

Solid matter, 20 

The solid matter, on being icinerated, gives 1J to 1^ per cent, of 
ash, which consists of one-half sea-salt, one-tenth of peroxide of iron, 
and the rest of lime, magnesia, potash, soda, phosphoric acid, and 
carbonic acid. 

DISEASES OF THE GENEKAL SYSTEM. 

ANEURISM. 

Aneurism has been defined as a pulsating tumor, containing blood, 
and communicating with the interior of an artery. 

Aneurisms may be internal or external. In the former case, being 
so situated in the cavities of the body — as in the abdomen, chest, or 
cranium — as to render the nature of the disease often very doubtful ; 
in the latter, they are so placed in the limbs that access may be 
easily had to them. 

Causes. — The whole arterial system is liable to aneurisms; but 
they occur much more frequently internally than externally, and 
oftener in those main trunks near the heart than elsewhere. They 
usually occur in persons of advanced age, such being most liable to 
calcareous depositions of the coats of the arteries, which are among 
their predisposing causes, with which may also be named violent 
contusions, abuse of spirituous liquors, frequent use of mercurials, 
fits of anger, extension of the limbs, straining, and violent exertion 
of any kind. Gunshot, and other wounds, also frequently cause 
aneurisms, which few persons long addicted to intemperate habits 
escape. 

Symptoms. — In the early stage there is a small tumor, pulsating 
very strongly, more or less evident to the sight and touch, accord- 
ing to the depth at which it is seated. Sometimes its presence is 
only known by the rapid pulsation, and pain, and tenderness of the 
part. Sometimes, only as it interferes with the functions of some 
important organs, producing impeded respiration, cough, and other 
distressing symptoms, and ending in death; for which, without a 
post-mortem examination, the physician can assign no adequate 



DISEASES OF THE GENERAL SYSTEM. 279 

cause. For the internal form of the disease no remedial measures 
can be advised. They depend so much upon situation, and other 
varying circumstances, that only the medical practitioner can judge 
of the means to be employed. 

Treatment of external aneurisms. — This must also depend very 
much on circumstances. They are often formed on the principal 
arterial trunks of the upper and lower extremities, or of the neck, 
as in the carotid. The pulsating tumor, at first filled with fluid 
blood, which can be pressed out if the finger is passed gently along 
it, — gradually becomes firmer and harder, assuming the character 
of a solid swelling, retarding the circulation by pressure on the 
surrounding parts, and causing muscular spasms, cramps, and sud- 
den twitchings. If situated near the joint of a limb, the motion 
thereof becomes impeded, and inflamed swelling of the whole part 
often ensues ; the cuticle covering the aneurism assumes the appear- 
ance of a blistered surface ; finally, the sac opens, blood issues forth, 
which continues to flow from time to time, and the patient dies 
from weakness occasioned by loss of blood, or by the setting in of 
gangrene, which spreads up the limb, should it not be timely re- 
moved, and so causes death. Pressure upon the artery, so as to 
stop the flow of blood into the sac, has been recommended of late ; 
but it causes greater pain than can be generally endured, and does 
not appear to have answered in the majority of cases in which it has 
been tried. A surgical operation appears to give the best chance 
of a cure ; and this, which consists in dividing and tying the artery 
on which the aneurismal tumor is situated, can be attempted by no 
unprofessional person. 

No external irritant liniment or friction must be applied in aneu- 
rism; nor fomentations and other hot applications. When the 
bleeding has commenced, the strength must be sustained by good 
nourishing diet; but, until it has, it is best to keep the system low. 
Active exertion must be avoided, both mental and physical, and also 
pressure upon the part affected. 

ABSCESS. 

Abscess is a collection of matter produced by inflammation. 

Causes. — It arises from previous inflammation of the inner sur- 
face of the skin and its surrounding parts, which did not pass off by 
gradual cessation, but a cavity (filled with matter) was formed, which 
is termed an abscess. 



280 OUK FAMILY DOCTOK. 

Symptoms. — The inflammation of the part quickly subsides; a 
heavy, dull, cold sensation of the part, instead of acute pain ; frequent 
signs, or shivers, through the frame ; and the top of the tumor ap- 
pears soft and white ; all around is redder. 

Treatment. — Take a slightly cooling and gentle aperient. If the 
abscess goes on regularly, leave it undisturbed until its pointed 
shape and the thinness of the skin show its fitness for lancing. Do 
not squeeze it. Foment the part with hot flannel, and apply a poul- 
tice of linseed-meal mixed with milk and water, or bread mixed with 
oil. In parts where the poultice is difficult to retain, it must be put 
into a bag made of muslin or lena, with a tape attached to each 
corner of the bag to fasten it on and retain it in its place. The 
poultice should be renewed every six or eight hours, and continued 
for some days. After discharging pretty freely, a slip of lint should 
be inserted by a probe, and renewed once or twice a day, according 
to the nature of the discharge. After this the part should be sup- 
ported by a bandage, or slips of adhesive or soap plaster to facilitate 
contraction; and the aperture should be left open to facilitate the 
discharge. Good matter is about the color and consistency of 
cream, with no smell and scarcely any taste. If this is not the case, 
the matter is unhealthy, and the sore is not doing well. When 
healed, tonic medicine and change of air should be resorted to. 
During the continuance of the abscess, the patient should live on 
food which is plain and nutritious, without being stimulating, avoid- 
ing at the same time — except under extraordinary circumstances — 
wine, spirits, and beer. 

BED SORES. 

The constant pressure of certain portions of the body upon the 
bed or mattress frequently produces in invalids excoriations which 
are known by the above name. 

Treatment. — When the skin becomes red and inflamed, and pain- 
ful to the touch, immediate steps should be taken to prevent if pos- 
sible an abrasion of the skin. Mix two teaspoonfuls of brandy with 
a wine-glassful of hot water, with thirty drops of tincture of arnica. 
Dab the part with this, and dry with violet powder. Or, either be- 
fore or after the skin breaks, dip a camel-hair brush into collodion, 
and brush the inflamed surface over, repeating the operation from 
time to time until the part is healed. 



DISEASES OF THE GENERAL SYSTEM. 281 

BALDNESS. 

This is caused by the disorganization of the root or bulb of the 
hair, and may proceed from age, general derangement of the func- 
tions, or local disease. When baldness proceeds from age, the hair 
can never be restored. 

Treatment. — Mix well together liquor of ammonia, one ounce; 
camphorated alcohol, one-and-a-half drachms ; bay salt, half ounce ; 
water, one pint. With this mixture bathe the head three times a 
day. Afterwards, rub well into the scalp a pomatum made of fresh 
hog's-lard three and a quarter ounces, and grated camphor one 
ounce. The action of the sedative water restores the capillary cir- 
culation which forms the bulb of the hair, and imparts new life to 
the organ. The pomatum assists and favors the growth. 

Or use either of the following : Castor oil, one and a half ounces ; 
tincture of cantharides, half an ounce. Mix well together, and rub 
the bald part with it night and morning. Or use lard, made to a 
thin consistence with rum, rubbed in night and morning. 

CANCER. 

A cancer is an ulcer of the worst kind, with an uneven surface, 
and ragged and painful edges. It spreads in a very rapid manner, 
discharges a thin acrimonious matter, and has a very foetid smell. 

Causes. — It is found that persons of scrofulous constitutions 
are most liable to this complaint. It arises most frequently from a 
blow, or some other external injury, but now and then from previous 
inflammation, also by suppressed evacuations. W T omen are more 
liable to it than men, especially the latter about the change of life. 

Symptoms. — It mostly is about the glands or glandular structure, 
the breast, nose, &c, externally; internally, the liver, womb, &c. 
It first appears a hard tumor, of about the size of an hazle-nut, 
which remains stationary awhile, then it begins to enlarge, shoots 
out roots ; the color of the skin begins to change, first red, after- 
wards purple, then livid, and at last black ; shooting excruciating 
pains ; the place enlarges, until at last it bursts, then a little ease is 
got ; but if the disease is not now stopped, the place extends until 
it bursts some blood-vessels, or reaches some vital part and destroys 
life. Therefore immediate means should be taken to cure, wherever 
cancer is found to exist, even in the most incipient form. 

Treatment. — Diet light but nourishing, avoiding salted or highly 
seasoned provisions, or strong liquors. In all cases of Schirrus or 
Unbroken Cancer, try to disperse it without breaking, if possible. 
Use the following : — 



282 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

Hydriodate of potash, 1 drachm. 

Fresh lard, 3 ounces. 

Mix well ; rub on the size of an hazel nut, twice a day for a fort- 
night ; then cease for a week, and apply a poultice of figs boiled in 
milk, for three or four days ; then apply the ointment again, and 
continue doing so. This has disposed of many suspicious tumors. 
Take internally the following : — 

Calomel, - 1 scruple. 

Emetic Tartar, 6 grains. 

Precipitated Sulphuret of Antimony 2 scruples. 

Gum Guiacum, 2 drachms. 

Conserve of Hops, sufficient quantity. 

Rub well together, and divide into forty pills. One to be taken 
every night, and the following in the daytime : — 

Compound Infusion of Gentian, 12 ounces. 

Tincture of Calumba, 1 ounce. 

Carbonate of Ammonia, 1 drachm. 

Mix. Take three table-spoonfuls three times a day. After taking 
this for a week, substitute the following pills instead of the 
draught : — 

Oxyphosphate of Iron, jounce. 

Compound Ipecacuanha Powder, 1 scruple. 

Powdered Aloes, 6 grains. 

Mucilage of Gum Arabic, sufficient quantity. 

Mix, and divide into sixty pills. Take one three times a day. If 
those methods of treatment (which must be persisted in for some 
time) do not succeed, and it becomes a broken cancer, the internal 
remedies may continue the same. Apply a carrot poultice, or the 
following will be good : — 

Dried Hemlock, 1 ounce. 

Cammomile Flowers, 1 ounce. 

Boiling Water, 1 pint. 

Boil ten minutes, and add to the strained decoction linseed-meal 
in sufficient quantity to make a poultice ; oil well, and apply warm 
twice a day. 
Continue this occasionally, till the diseased parts are destroyed. In 



DISEASES OF THE GENERAL SYSTEM. 283 

all cases keep the place covered with dressings, with oiled silks or 
sheet of gutta percha, to keep the air off. In internal cancer, in 
addition to the preceding internal remedies, either or both of the 
following may be taken alternately with the second and third of the 
above formulas : — 

Guiacum Wood Raspings, 3 ounces. 

Raisins Stoned, 2 ounces. 

Sassafras Shavings, 1 ounce. 

Liquorice Root, sliced, i ounce. 

Boil the guiacum and raisins in a gallon of water, until it is re- 
duced to five pints, then put in the sassafras and liquorice, and con- 
tinue boiling until reduced to four pints ; then strain, leave to settle 
till clear. A pint may be taken daily, at about four times. Or the 
following : — 

Sarsaparilla Root, sliced and bruised, 6 ounces. 

Liquorice Root, bruised, 1 ounce. 

Bark of Root of Sassafras, 1 ounce. 

Shavings of Guiacum Wood, 1 ounce. 

Bark of Root of Mezereon 3 drachms. 

Distilled, or Rain- Water, 10 pints. 

Macerate with gentle heat for six hours, then boil to six pints ; 
add the mezereon, then boil down to five pints, and strain. Take 
three-quarters of a pint daily. 

CORPULENCE. 

This, when it arrives at a certain height, becomes a real disease. 
The accumulation of fat about the kidneys and mesentery, swells 
the belly and prevents the free motion of the midriff, and so causes 
a difficulty of breathing. 

Causes. — A free indulgence in good living, with an easy mind ; 
indolent or sedentary life, are the causes of corpulence in any one 
whose constitution predisposes them to feed. 

Symptoms. — The muscles of the body gradually enlarge, and the 
person is not so active as heretofore ; is exhausted or out of breath, 
on less exertion than previously; and the circulation is impeded 
through the accumulations of oily or fatty matter. 

Treatment. — Gradually reduce the usual quantity of aliment ; take 
less nutritious substances for food; drink sparingly, especially of 
malt liquors; use regular and daily active exercise, abstain from 



284 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

suppers, take short rest, sleep but few hours, and rise early every 
morning. By a rigid pursuance of these means for a due length of 
time, the most corpulent and unwieldy man or woman will be re- 
duced within moderate bounds, with an acquisition of health, 
strength, and vigor. In addition to active exercise, the body should 
be rubbed with a pomatum made of lard three and a quarter ounces, 
and camphor one ounce. This to be heated and mixed over the fire, 
and afterwards suffered to cool. Afterwards take five grains of 
aloes every four days, and employ the following clyster every / 
morning : — 

Linseed, 1 ounce. 

Rose Leaves, 1^ drachms. 

Bay Salt, 3 drachms. 

Boil the ingredients for twenty minutes in a quart of water. Just 
before taking the decoction off the fire, add to it camphorated oil 
one and a half drachms. 

CRAMP. 

Cramp is an affection usually caused by exposure to cold and 
damp. 

Treatment. — Foment the part affected with warm water, with a 
little mustard mixed in it. Drink nothing cold, and take a little 
brandy and water; put the feet in warm water, and endeavor to 
produce a perspiration ; take two or three times a day a dose of 
Peruvian bark in a little wine, or a little ginger and water. Or the 
following : — 

Water of Ammonia, or Spirits of Hartshorn, 1 ounce. 

Olive Oil, 2 ounces. 

Shake them together till they unite, and rub it on the affected 
part with the hand. In severe cases use the following: — 

Strong Liniment of Ammonia, 1^ ounces. 

Oil of Turpentine, 1 ounce. 

Spirits of Camphor, 1 ounce. 

Hard Soap, 4 drachms. 

Mix the whole well together, and apply it to the part on flannels 
heated and moistened. When the cause of cramp is constitutional, 
the best preventives are warm tonics, such as the essence of ginger 
and camomile, Jamaica ginger in powder, &c, avoiding fermented 
liquor and green vegetables, particularly for supper, and wearing 
flannel next the skin. 



DISEASES OF THE GENERAL SYSTEM. 285 

DROPSY. 

Dropsy consists of an unnatural accumulation of serous or watery 
fluid, in various parts of the body. Persons of all ages are liable to 
it. It is divided into five kinds, according to the part affected: 
first, droj>sy of the skin, generally called anasarca; second, dropsy 
of the belly, called ascites; third, dropsy of the chest, called hydro- 
thorax; fourth, dropsy of the head, or water in the brain, called 
hydrocephalus ; fifth, scrotal bag, called hydrocele. 

Causes. — Excessive and long-continued evacuations, weakening 
the system ; a free use of fermented or spirituous liquors ; confirmed 
and incurable indigestion; diseases of the liver, spleen, pancreas, 
mesentery, or others of the viscera; preceding diseases, as asthma, 
scarlet fever, &c. ; anything debilitating the digestive organs ; some- 
times from family predisposition. 

Symptoms. — This disease generally commences with swelling of 
the feet and ankles toward night, which for a time disappears in the 
morning. The swelling, when pressed, will pit ; it gradually ascends 
till the whole body is swelled, in the first sort, and the belly in the 
second sort ; the urine scanty, thick, and high-colored ; thirst is 
great, breathing difficult, especially in the third sort, and a trouble- 
some cough ; the flesh wastes, and the patient weakens ; in the fourth 
sort, pains on the top of the head, and often convulsion or apoplexy ; 
in the fifth sort, the scrotal bag is much enlarged, and much pain in 
consequence. 

Treatment. — The diet must be of a dry heating nature, using 
pungent vegetables, as garlic, mustard, onions, cresses, horseradish, 
shalots, &c, and the flesh of wild animals. Avoid drinks as much as 
possible; quench the thirst with acid liquors, mustard whey, and 
the like ; and take some of the following : — 

Cream of Tartar, ] drachm. 

Sulphate of Potass, 10 grains. 

Rhubarb in Powder, 5 grains. 

Take in pumpkin-seed tea two or three times a day. Or use the 
following : — 

Powder of dried Squill-Root, ■ 2 grains. 

Bine Pill, 5 grains. 

Opium, \ grain. 

Dose, one pill at bedtime for four or five nights, followed by the 
above powder the morning after. 



286 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

In dropsy of the chest or head, blisters are almost indispensable, 
and are always applied to great advantage ; and, if kept running for 
some time, are very beneficial. After the water is removed, live well 
and temperately. Take tonics and strengthening food. 

Herbal, or Eclectic Treatment eor Dropsy. 

Many cures have been effected by using a decoction of burdock. 
Boil two ounces of the fresh root in three pints of water till re- 
duced to two. Drink the whole in the course of two days. 

A teaspoonful of saltpetre taken every morning is said to have 
cured many. 

From one to four teaspoonfuls of the expressed juice of the 
inner bark of the elder, taken every four hours, till it operates 
freely, is of great service. 

To promote perspiration an adult may take every night at bed- 
time four or five grains of camphor, one grain of opium, and as 
much syrup of orange-peel as is sufficient to make into a bolus. 

DEBILITY. 

General Debility is a falling off from the usual power of the indi- 
vidual to perform those exertions in which he has been habitually 
engaged. 

Treatment. — Nourishing food, change of air, careful regulation of 
diet, cold shower-baths, and the following forms of medicine : Sul- 
phate of magnesia, four ounces ; sulphate of iron, eight grains ; sul- 
phate of quinine, ten grains; diluted sulphuric acid, one drachm; 
infusion of gentian-root, eight ounces. Dose, two tablespoonfuls 
twice or thrice a day. Or the following: Compound tincture of 
bark, one ounce; carbonate of ammonia, two scruples; water, eight 
ounces. Dose, two tablespoonfuls three times a day. 

DEFECTIVE APPETITE. 

The loss of appetite may arise from a variety of causes, as the 
excessive use of wines and spirits, the partaking immoderately of 
warm fluids, sedentary occupation, over-anxiety, excess of mental 
labor, impure air, &c. 

Treatment. — Kegulation of diet and change of air will be fre- 
quently found more beneficial than medicine. But to restore the 



DISEASES OF THE GENEBAL SYSTEM. 287 

tone of the stomach, which is the chief aim, the following decoction 
may be taken: Peruvian bark, six drachms; cascarilla bark, two 
drachms. Bruise them in a mortar, and boil them in a pint and a 
half of water for a few minutes ; strain off the liquor while hot, then 
add tincture of bark, two ounces ; diluted nitric acid, one and a half 
drachms. Dose, four tablespoonfuls to be taken thrice daily. Bitter 
tonics are also advantageous. Bhubarb chewed an hour before 
dinner-time is also advantageous. One or two four-grain compound 
aloe-pills may be taken at noon with beneficial effect. 

EXHAUSTION. 

The diminished power either of the body generally, or of one or 
more of its organs, to continue its natural active operations, until it 
has been recruited by a period of repose. 

Treatment. — As this derangement is commonly induced by excess 
of labor or continued exertion, in these cases the stomach is not 
receiving its full supply of nervous stimulation, and therefore its 
work must be made as light as possible, consistent with conveying 
proper nourishment into the system. Small quantities of food 
should be taken at a time, and more frequently repeated. In the 
majority of instances, the most efficient nourishment will be strong 
concentrated animal soup, either alone or with bread ; and next in 
utility will be coffee or cocoa, along with bread or biscuit, or with 
the yolk of an egg beaten into them. The use of wines and spirits 
should be avoided as long as possible. But if extreme exhaustion 
exist, these latter will be found excellent agents for restoring the 
vital powers. A warm bath is also very grateful and efficacious in 
cases of exhaustion. Occasional doses of the following will stand 
in good stead : — 

Peppermint-Water, 1^ ounces. 

Sal Volatile, ^ drachm. 

Sweet Spirits of Nitre, 12 drops. 

Compound Spirit of Lavender, 1 drachm. 

Syrup of Gloves, jounce. 

Mix. Dose, two tablespoonfuls. In cases of extreme exhaustion, 
the following may be used in aid of, or as a substitute for, stimu- 
lants: Chop some lean beef into small pieces, enclose it in a jar, and 



288 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

set it in an oven, or on the stove for an hour and a half. It will 
then separate into three portions — fat, fibre, and liquid essence. 
Strain off the last, and separate the fat by means of a piece of blot- 
ting-paper, when a clear amber -colored liquid is obtained, of an in- 
tensely aromatic smell and flavor, very stimulating to the brain. 

FCETXD BREATH. 

The odor of the breath is a pretty correct index of the state of 
the body. When tainted, it is so not uncommonly from decayed 
teeth, or from a morbid secretion of the tonsils ; but more fre- 
quently, in children especially, it is indicative of disordered 
stomach and loaded bowels. 

Treatment. — Rinse the mouth out two or three times a 
day with a weak solution of soda or chloride of lime, or 
take half a . tumbler-full of camomile tea on rising every 
morning, or wash the mouth with salt water in the morning, and 
clean the teeth afterwards with water mixed with wood ashes (a 
pinch of ashes to a glass of water). — The following is very efficient : 
Take of white sea-salt one and a half ounces ; tartrate of potass 
and essential oil of bergamot or mint, of each two drachms ; white 
sugar and gum-tragacanth in powder, of each eight ounces. Dry 
the salt, sugar, and gum by the fire, and reduce them to a very fine 
powder in a very hot mortar ; make the powder into a paste with 
a little water and the essential oil ; roll the paste out to about the 
eighth of an inch, and divide it into lozenges, Dry them in a dish 
or basin in the oven ; when perfectly dry, cover them with a coat- 
ing of gum-tragacanth, and dry them again afterwards quickly by 
the 4 fire. Keep them in a well-closed box. These lozenges are 
simply chewed, and not taken internally, nor ought the saliva to be 
swallowed that is secreted while chewing them. "When you have 
finished chewing, rinse the mouth with water. These lozenges will 
not only cure foulness of breath, but will take away the smell of 
tobacco, onions, &c. 

FEVERS IN GENERAL. 

A fever is the most general disease incidental to the human race. 
It attacks all ages, sexes, and constitutions, and affects the system 
throughout both body and mind. Most medical writers describe 



DISEASES OF THE GENERAL SYSTEM. 289 

many kinds of fever, with many minor sub-divisions, but they are 
all of a similar character, varying in intensity and something in 
their symptoms. They may be divided into three classes, viz., 
continual, remitting, and intermitting. A continual fever is that 
which never leaves the patient during the whole course of the disease. 
This kind of fever is divided into acute, slow, and malignant. The 
fever is called acute when its progress is quick, and symptoms 
violent ; but when these are more gentle, it is called sloio. When 
livid spots appear, showing a putrid state of humors, it is called 
malignant, putrid, or black fever. A remitting fever differs only 
from a continual in a degree : it has frequent increases and decreases, 
but never wholly leaves the patient during the course of the disease. 
Intermitting fevers (agues) are those which, during the time the 
patient may be said to be ill, have evident intervals and abatements 
of the various symptoms. 

A fever is an effort of nature to free the body from some offending 
cause, and it only requires attention to observe the way nature 
points, and endeavor to assist her operations. Our bodies are framed 
so as to throw off, or expel, whatever is injurious to the health. This 
is generally by urine, sweating, stool, vomit, expectoration, or some 
other evacuation ; and there are many reasons to believe if the efforts 
of nature were attended to and promoted at the beginning of fevers, 
they would seldom last twenty-four hours; but if the efforts are 
neglected or counteracted (as they often are), is it to be wondered 
at if the disease is to be prolonged, and in many cases made fatal ? 
We here give a few general causes, symptoms, and remedies, which 
are applicable to most fevers at the commencement. 

Causes. — The causes are mostly obstructed perspiration, ne- 
glected colds, intemperance, and sometimes infection. 

Symptoms. — Sickness, squeamishness, sense of weakness or languor, 
pains in the head, back, and limbs; chillings or shiverings, alter- 
nately with hot fits, thirst, a foul furry tongue, unpleasant taste, a 
dry hot skin, and a quick pulse. 

Treatment. — If the stomach is oppressed or overloaded, take a 
vomit, as follows : Flour of mustard, one ounce ; warm water, half 
a pint : mix. Take half of it, and if it does not act in fifteen 
minutes, take the other half ; drink warm camomile tea to help its 
operation ; when it has acted freely, take a mild purgative. When 
the bowels have acted freely, take the following : — 



290 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

Solution of acetate of ammonia 3 ounces. 

Cinnamon Water , 2 ounces. 

"Wine of Tartarized Antimony 2 drachms. 

Syrup of Orange Peel 1 ounce. 

Pure Water 6 ounces. 

Mix, and take three table spoonfuls every four hours. 



FEVER AND AGUE, (Intermittent Fever.) 

A fever is said to be intermittent when it consists of a succession 
of paroxyms, between each of which there is a distinct and perfect 
intermission from fever symptoms. Agues are of three kinds, 
called quotidan ; (the fit comes on about every twenty-four hours ;) 
tertian, (or the fit comes on every forty-eight hours ;) quartan, (or 
the fit comes on about every seventy-two hours.) 

Causes. — Living or being exposed amongst stinking stagnant 
water, especially when acted on by heat ; poor watery diet, great 
fatigue, sleeping in damp rooms or beds, wearing damp or wet 
linen ; being exposed long and often to a moist atmosphere, sup- 
pression of eruptions, &c. 

Symptoms. — The cold stage commences with a sense of langour 
and debility, and slowness of motion ; frequent stretching and 
yawning ; pain in the head and loins; sometimes sickness and 
vomiting ; pulse small, frequent, and irregular ; urine pale ; to this 
succeeds a violent shivering and shaking, the patient feels very 
cold, and the breathing small, frequent and anxious, sensibility is 
much impaired. After a time these symptoms abate, and the second 
stage commences, with an increase of heat and fever all over the 
body, redness of the face, dryness of the skin, thirst, pain in the 
head, throbbing temples, the tongue furred, the pulse becomes dry, 
hard, full, and regular ; when these have continued some time, a 
moisture breaks out on the forehead, which by degrees becomes a 
general sweat all over the body, the fever abates ; the water depo- 
sits a sediment ; the breathing and pulse are free, and the fit is over, 
but leaves the patient in a weak state. 

Treatment. — In the cold stage, give warm diluent drinks, such as 
barley water, weak tea, or weak wine and water. Apply external 
warmth by means of extra clothing, hot bottles to the feet, mustard 
foot-baths, bags of heated bran, baked salt, &c. In this stage, an 
opiate is often beneficial ; give twenty-five to thirty drops of lauda- 



DISEASES OF THE GENEBAL SYSTEM. 291 

num, with an equal quantity of ether, in a glass of water. During 
the hot stage, an opposite mode of treatment must be adopted. 
Sponge the surface with tepid or cold water, give cold diluent or 
iced drinks, and administe a full dose of laudanum. "When the hot 
stage has subsided into the sweating stage, the action of the skin 
should be encouraged by tepid drinks ; and if the system is much 
exhausted, weak spirit and water in small quantities may be occa- 
sionally ventured on. During the intermissions, administer active 
aperients, as five grains calomel, with three grains of compound ex- 
tract of colocynth : followed by a mild purgative. Give bark to an 
extent as great as the stomach will bear, and combine with it wine 
and aromatics, accompanied by a generous but light diet, and 
moderate exercise. Quinine is a very powerful agent in ague ; two 
or three grains of this medicine, administered twice or thrice daily, 
with such nourishing diet as the patient can take, will, in ordi- 
nary cases, put a speedy end to the disease. — In cases of long 
standing, which resist the usual modes of treatment, the follow- 
ing remedy may be had recourse to : Iodide of potassium, one 
and a half drachms ; peppermint water, twelve ounces ; take two 
table spoonfuls every four hours. One or two grains of sulphate 
of quinine may be added to each dose. — Agues are liable to re- 
turn, and persons subject to the complaint are always made 
aware of its approach. In such cases, the fit may be rendered 
milder by taking one scruple of ipecacuhana in an ounce of 
water, as an emetic, an hour previously. Sick persons should 
also take occasional doses of sulphate of quinine twice a day for 
three or four weeks ; in spring and autumn, especially, night air 
must be avoided; and the early morning air not attempted, un- 
til some warm fluid or food has been introduced into the 
stomach. 

BILIOUS OR REMITTENT FEVER. 

When a fever is accompanied with a frequent or copious eva- 
cuation of bile, either by vomit or stool, the fever is denominated 
bilious, most frequent in the country at the latter end of sum- 
mer or beginning of autumn. 

Causes. — Exposure to damp or night air; frequently from in- 
temperance, when the body is disordered from cold or exposure, 
or similar to ague. 



292 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

Symptoms. — Frequent flushings and shiyerings, with vomiting, 
bilious phlegm, and sometimes purging, same as bilious diarrhoea. 

Treatment. — Cleanse the stomach with the following: Emetic 
tartar, one grain; powdered ipecacuanha, fifteen grains; water, 
three table spoonfuls ; mix and take ; drinking warm camomile tea 
till it operates ; and the bowels with this ; Epsom salts, six 
drachms ; glauber salts, three drachms ; infusion of senna, seven 
ounces; tincture of jalap, half an ounce; compound tincture of 
cardamoms, one ounce ; mix, and take two table spoonfuls every 
four hours, till it operates freely. Then take for a day or two 
the following : Subcarbonate of potash, four drachms ; purified 
nitre, one drachm ; syrup of saffron, six drachms ; camphor mix- 
ture, twelve ounces; mix, take two table spoonfuls every four 
hours, with one of the following powders each time in the dose; 
citric acid or tartaric acid, half an ounce ; divide into twelve 
powders, mix in the draught, and drink whilst effervescing. 

When the fever has subsided take for a week or two the following 
pills : Sulphate of quinine, two drachms ; extract of gentian, three 
drachms ; mix well ; divide into sixty pills, and take one every four 
hours. Then use the following excellent drink : Take well-crushed 
pale malt, three lbs.; dried wormwood, dried century, dried hore- 
hound, dried buckbean, dried betony, dried camomile, dried ground 
ivy, of each one ounce, (but if fresh, two ounces,) gentian root, 
sliced, one ounce, Virginia snake root, sliced, one ounce ; infuse all 
in two gallons of hot water, in a warm place, two hours, then boil 
together fifteen minutes, then strain off the herbs, &c, squeeze as 
dry as possible, put in two pounds of sugar, and boil again ten 
minutes ; when cool enough, put in some fresh yeast ; work it well 
for two days, then bottle in sound bottles, putting two table spoon- 
fuls of brandy to each quart. This is remarkably good for weak- 
ness, &c. Take three table spoonfuls three times a day, with a tea 
spoonful of the compound tincture of bark in each dose. 

ACUTE OR INFLAMMATORY FEVER. 

This mostly attacks the young, or those about the prime or vigor 
of life, especially such as live well, and are full of blood. It attacks 
at all periods of the year, but is most frequent in spring and the 
beginning of summer. 

Causes. — Anything that overheats the body, as violent exercise, 



DISEASES OF THE GENERAL SYSTEM. 293 

sleeping in the sun, drinking strong liquors, &c. It may also be 
caused by lying on the damp ground, drinking cold liquor when 
hot, being exposed to the night air, and the like. 

Symptoms. — It usually commences with a chilliness, which is soon 
succeeded by a burning heat, quick full pulse, pain in the head, red- 
ness of the eyes, florid flushed countenance, dry skin, pain in the 
back, loins, &c. To these succeed difficulty of breathing, sickness, 
inclination to vomit, no appetite, restless, tongue black, furred, and 
rough, urine very red. Delirium, great oppression of the breast, 
laborious breathing, frequent startings, hiccups, and cold clammy 
sweats are very dangerous symptoms. 

Treatment. — Sometimes bleeding is necessary, especially if there 
be much inflammation. If vomiting be indicated, give an emetic. 
About three hours after, give a purging draught. The next day take 
the following: — 

Tartrate of Antimony, 12 grains. 

Loaf Sugar, 2 drachms. 

Powder, and mix well together, and divide into twenty-four pow- 
ders. Take one every three hours, in three tablespoonfuls of the 
following : — 

Nitrate of Potash (Saltpetre), 1 drachm. 

Solution of Acetate of Ammonia, 3 ounces. 

Syrup of Orange-Peel, 1 ounce. 

Pure Water, 8 ounces. 

Mix. Take three table-spoonfuls as above directed. The thirst 
being very great, we recommend the following : — ■ 

Pearl Barley, Stoned Eaisins, and Figs, of each, 4 ounces. 

Liquorice-Root, sliced 1 ounce. 

Water, 4 quarts. 

"Wash the barley well; boil a few minutes, then strain off; throw 
the water away, and put into four quarts of boiling water; boil the 
barley an hour, then add the raisins, figs, and liquorice, and boil 
down to two quarts ; when boiled, add to it purified nitre (saltpetre), 
half an ounce. A teacupful occasionally to quench the thirst is very 
serviceable. The diet low and light — oatmeal or sago gruel, tapio- 
ca, or the like. Wash the patient occasionally with lukewarm water, 
especially the hands and feet ; and sprinkle the chamber occasion- 
ally with vinegar, more especially if the weather be hot ; and have 
some vinegar in a jar, and occasionally plunge a red-hot iron in it. 
This will purify the air much, and refresh the patient. 



294 



OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 



SLOW OR NERVOUS FEVER. 



This is a very common fever amongst the sedentary, or those of 
weak, relaxed habits. 

Causes. — Whatever depresses the spirits, or impoverishes the 
blood, as grief, fear, anxiety, want of sleep, intense thought, living 
on poor thin diet, unripe fruits, or cold moist things, as cucumbers, 
melons, mushrooms, or the like ; also damp, confined, unwholesome 
air. Hence it is common in rainy seasons, or amongst those who 
live in low, damp, close places. 

Symptoms. — Low spirits, want of appetite, weariness after motion, 
watchfulness, deep sighing and dejection of mind are mostly the 
forerunners of this disease. These are succeeded by a low quick 
pulse, a dry tongue, without great thirst ; chilliness and flushing 
alternately. After some time the patient feels a giddiness and pain 
in the head, a sickly feeling, with retching and vomiting ; the pulse 
is quick and intermittent, the urine pale, looking like dead small 
beer; the breathing difficult, with oppression of the breast, and 
sometimes slight delirium, — when towards the ninth, tenth or 
twelfth day, the tongue becomes moist, with a plentiful spitting, a 
gentle purging, or moisture on the skin, or some eruption takes 
place about the nose, lips> or ears. Then mostly all danger is past ; 
but if there be excessive looseness, wasting sweats, with frequent 
fainting fits, the tongue when put out trembles much, the extremi- 
ties feel cold, with a fluttering pulse, then great danger exists. 

Treatment. — If the sickly feeling is great, give the following 
emetic : — 

Powdered Ipecacuanha, 20 grains. 

Wine of Antimony, , \\ drachms. 

Pimento-Water, .....1^ ounces. 

Cleanse the bowels with the following purge : — 

Powdered Rhubarb, 2 drachms. 

Carbonate of Magnesia 1 drachm. 

Tincture of Ginger, 3 drachms. 

Compound Tincture of Cardamoms, , 6 drachms. 

Cinnamon-Water, 9 ounces. 

Mix. Take four table-spoonfuls every three hours till it operates 
freely. 



DISEASES OF THE GENEKAL SYSTEM. 295 

Take the mixture recommended for acute fever. When the 
fever is subdued, and the patient appears low, give the following 
cordial : — 

Carbonate of Ammonia, |- drachm. 

Compound Tincture of Cinnamon, 3 drachms. 

Syrup of Ginger, 6 drachms. 

Compound Spirits of Lavender, jounce. 

Pure Water, 3 ounces. 

Camphor Mixture, 8 ounces. 

Mix. Take three table-spoonfuls three times a day. If delirious, 
a blister at the back of the neck may be of much service. The diet 
must be mostly light, but nourishing and good. 



SIMPLE CONTINUED FEVER. 

Simple Continued Fever is a complication of the acute and ner- 
vous, and is the most common. It sometimes lasts five, six, or eight 
weeks. 

Causes. — The causes are similar to those producing nervous 
fever. 

Symptoms. — The stomach is affected, the patient is listless, but the 
loss of strength is not so great. For the first four or five days the 
tongue keeps moist, and the thirst is not so much ; but at length 
the tongue becomes dry, as in nervous fever; the urine keeps its 
natural color, but deposits a sediment, sometimes a mucus. 

Treatment. — At first treat as for acute; clear the stomach and 
bowels, and give the medicines there directed ; then, after a week or 
rather more has passed, and the acute fever seems subdued, then 
treat as for nervous fever. 

TYPHUS FEVER. 

Typhus Fever is a kind of continued fever, characterized by the 
ordinary symptoms of other fevers, accompanied with debility in 
the nervous and vascular systems, and a tendency in the fluids to 
putrefaction. 

Causes. — Any of the ordinary causes of fever may give rise to 
typhus, but by far the most common cause of typhus is contagion, 
or febrile miasm, the activity of which is much increased by the 
crowding in close and ill-ventilated places, filth, insufficient nutri- 



296 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

ment, and other causes tending to depress the vit&l power. It is 
eminently contagious and infectious, and often prevails epidemi- 
cally. 

Symptoms. — The symptoms are great prostration of strength, heat 
intense, pungent, and more biting than in any other fever; pulse 
hard, small, weak, and irregular; nausea, vomiting, sometimes a 
greenish or blackish colored bile, countenance flushed, tongue 
parched and black furred, and thirst is excessive. In the worst 
cases black or purple spots appear, the urine is but little changed, 
and there is a peculiar foetid smell, in cases of true typhus ; and 
sometimes there are discharges of blood. The duration of this fever 
is uncertain: sometimes it terminates between the seventh and four- 
teenth day, and sometimes it is prolonged five or six weeks. Its 
duration depends greatly upon the constitution of the patient, and 
the manner of treating the disease. The most favorable symptoms 
are a gentle looseness, after the fourth or fifth day, with a warm 
sweat. These will continue some time, and carry off the fever. Hot 
scabby eruptions about the mouth and nose are good signs, as are 
also abscesses. 

The unfavorable symptoms are excessive looseness, with a hard 
swelled belly, black or livid blotches breaking out, sore mouth, cold 
clammy sweats, change of voice, inability to put out the tongue, a 
constant inclination to uncover the breast, difficulty of swallowing, 
sweat, and spittle tinged with blood, and the urine black, or depo- 
siting a black sediment, shows great danger. 

Treatment. — In the early stages of this disease it is best not to 
interfere much with nature's operations. The principal aim ought 
to be to keep the patient alive until the fever-poison has expended 
itself. When seen early, however, it is often of advantage to admin- 
ister an emetic or a purgative ; and the patient's uneasy sensations 
will be much soothed by sponging the surface of the body with cold 
or tepid water. Directly the powers of life begin to fail, a stimu- 
lating course of treatment should be commenced, — such as strong 
beef or chicken tea, with wine or brandy frequently administered, 
taking care that it does not aggravate the febrile symptoms. When 
there is much general irritability and sleeplessness, a dose of opium 
may be given. The patient should be in a large, well-aired apart- 
ment, and the windows kept open as much as possible. As the pa 
tient begins to recover, a course of tonics will be necessary to expe- 
dite his restoration to health. 



DISEASES OF THE GENERAL SYSTEM. 297 

TYPHOID FEVER. 

Typhoid fever resembles in its main features that of typhus ; and 
until very recently the two were generally regarded as but two 
stages of the same affection. 

Symptoms. — Typhoid fever usually commences more insidiously 
and more gradually than typhus. The sufferer is less dull and stu- 
pid, but more anxious, and during the delirium decidedly more 
active, and even vivacious. Diarrhoea is almost always present in 
typhoid fever (often accompanied with haemorrhage), very rarely in 
typhus. In the former the eruption consists of rose-colored spots, 
thinly scattered, and often entirely absent. Typhoid fever is most 
common in youth, and rarely attacks persons after forty, while 
typhus may occur at any age ; and the former does not reach its 
height for a week later than the latter. 

Treatment. — In general the treatment required in both cases is 
alike, except in one or two particulars. At the commencement of 
typhoid, emetics are of service ; but aperients should rarely be given, 
in consequence of the tendency to diarrhoea. The intestinal irrita- 
tion and diarrhoea require for their treatment astringents, combined 
with opium, which may be administered either by the mouth or rec- 
tum. If there be haemorrhage from the bowels, cold ought to be 
applied carefully over the abdomen. During convalescence, the 
patient requires to be carefully attended to, as relapses are apt to 
occur; and the return to a generous diet must be very gradual. 



YELLOW FEVER. 

This is a disease of hot climates, a species of typhus, which takes 
its name from one of its symptoms, but which is not, however, an 
essential one. 

Causes. — Probably a vitiated state of the atmosphere, from 
putrid exhalations, arising from putrifying vegetable or animal 
substances in hot, sultry weather. It is an epidemic, and very 
contagious. 

Symptoms. — Costiveness, dull pain in the right side, defect of ap 
petite, flatulence, perverted tastes, heat in the stomach, giddiness or 
pain in the head ; dull, watery, yellow eye ; dim or imperfect vision, 
hoarseness, slight sore throat, and the worst features of typhus. 



298 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

Treatment. — It is advisable to clear the stomach by the following 
purgative : — 

Compound Extract of Colocynth, 1 drachm. 

Compound Rhubarb Pill, 1 drachm. 

Socotrine Aloes, li drachms. 

Calomel, 1 scruple. 

Oil of Caraway, , 10 drops. 

Syrup of Ginger, sufficient quantity. 

Mix, and divide into forty-eight pills. Take two or three at bed- 
time. Then use pills made as follows : — 

Calomel, 1 scruple. 

Powdered Opium, 1 scruple. 

James's Powder, 1 scruple. 

Conserve ot Hips, sufficient quantity. 

Mix, and divide into twenty pills. One to be taken every two or 
three hours till the disease abates. When the fever and inflamma- 
tory action are gone, use the following tonic antiseptic draught : — 

Tincture of Calumba, 1 ounce. 

Tincture of Peruvian Bark, 1 ounce. 

Infusion of Augustura Bark, 10 ounces. 

Mix. Take two table-spoonfuls three times a day, with twenty- 
four drops of dilute sulphuric acid in each dose. If much irritability 
of the stomach exists, a blister may be of service, and washing with 
cold water is often refreshing to the patient. Favorable symptoms 
are — settled stomach, little pain in the head, lively eyes, free per- 
spiration, copious high-colored urine, an eruption on the skin, and 
sound sleep 

Herbal, or Eclectic Treatment for Yellow Fever. 

In this disease, good nursing is indispensable. Let the patient 
have perfect rest and quietness, in a well-ventilated room. In the 
early stages of the disease, the diet must be confined to preparations 
of sago, arrow-root, barley, &c. ; but as the disease advances, give 
animal broths made of lean meat, thickened with bread-crumbs, 
oat-meal, or barley. The strictest attention must be given to 
cleanliness, and the linen changed frequently. If the stomach be 
very irritable and the vomiting violent, give the following prepa- 
ration : — 



DISEASES OF THE GENERAL SYSTEM. 299 

Powdered Rhubarb, 20 grains. 

Powdered Saleratns, 20 grains. 

Powdered Peppermint, 1 teaspoonful. 

Laudanum, 15 drops. 

Brandy, 1 tablespoonful. 

Boiling Water, 1 gill. 

Mix. Sweeten with loaf-sugar, and give a table-spoonful every 
hour till the symptoms change. The bowels must be kept open, as 
in all fevers. For this purpose use the following : — 

Ginger, 2 ounces. 

Bayberry Bark, 4 ounces. 

Cayenne Pepper, £ ounce. 

Dose, a teaspoonful in a little milk, with half a teaspoonful of 
powdered rhubarb every hour till it operates freely. Strong boneset 
or thoroughwort tea, taken in quantities as much as the stomach 
will stand, is very useful. 

Captain Jonas P. Levy, who has had an extensive experience with 
yellow fever, states that he never knew a case of yellow fever termi- 
nate fatally, under the following treatment : — 

Dissolve a table- spoonful of common salt in a wineglass of water; 
pour it into a tumbler, and add the juice of a whole lemon and two 
wineglasses of castor-oil. An adult to take the whole at one dose. 
Then give a hot mustard foot-bath, with a handful of salt in the 
water. Wrap the patient in blankets until he perspires freely. 
Remove to the bed, and well wrap the patient's feet in the blanket. 
Afterward apply mustard plasters to the abdomen, legs, and soles 
of the feet. If the headache is very severe, they may be applied to 
the head and temples. After the fever has been broken, take forty 
grains of quinine and forty drops of elixir of vitriol to a quart of 
water. Give a wineglassful three times a day. Barley-water, lemon- 
ade, and ice-water may be used in moderation. 

GANGRENE (Mortification). 

Gangrene is the first stage of mortification, so called from its 
eating away the flesh. Gangrene may be considered as a partial 
death — the death of one part of the body while the other parts are 
alive. 

Causes. — The causes are excessive inflammation, sometimes from 
hurts or injuries. 



300 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

Symptoms. — All pain and sensation ceases in the part ; and, if ex- 
tensive, it turns from red to purple, livid, or black, with a quick low 
pulse and clammy sweats. If internal, there is a cessation of pain, 
but the body sinks and changes to a livid color, and often hiccups 
and other distressing symptoms attend. The face is pinched with 
cold, and the tongue brown. 

Treatment. — When the result of cold, the part becomes first 
white, and a restoration of the suspended circulation should be 
attempted by rubbing with Snow, if it can be procured; if not, 
with a coarse cloth or flesh brush. No heat must be applied ; even 
that of the bed-covering will sometimes set up inflammation. Cam- 
phorated Spirit of Wine is, perhaps, the best linament that can be 
used. After the rubbing, if it appears to be at all effectual, apply 
ccld poultices. If, in spite of these efforts, a discoloration of the 
skin shows that Gangrene has really commenced, apply to the part 
a poultice of flax seed with a little powdered charcoal in it, and also 
Spirit lotions, to keep the disease from spreading. The constitu- 
tion of the patient must be soothed and supported by some anodyne 
and stimulent. Cooper recommends from 7 to 10 grains of Car- 
bonate of Ammonia, with 20 or 30 drops of Tincture of Opium, 
two or three times a day, or more frequently if required. A bolus 
composed of 5 grains of Carbonate of Ammonia, with 10 grains of 
Musk, may be given every four hours, with excellent effect. When 
the Gangrene has proceeded to a sloughing sore, a Port Wine poul- 
tice is a good application, as is Spirits of Turpentine, to stimulate 
the parts. 

If, however, the Gangrene is not stopped in its first stages, it can 
seldom be after ; and the only chance of saving the patient's life is 
to amputate the limb ; and this must be done before the morbific 
influence has spread far towards a vital part. 

HOSPITAL GANGRENE 

Is a combination of Humid Gangrene with Phagedenic Ulceration, 
sometimes occurring in crowded hospitals, and causing a fearful 
mortality among the patients. 

GLANDULAR SWELLINGS. 

Weak and scroflulous persons are frequently troubled with these 
swellings. They often occur in the neck, and under the arm, as 
well as elsewhere. 



DISEASES OF THE GENEKAL SYSTEM. 301 

Treatment. — Stimulent applications, and a general tonic course of 
treatment should be resorted to in such cases. Salt water bathing, 
and drinking mineral waters, are among the most efficacious reme- 
dies. If these cannot be obtained, let the patient take a mixture 
like this : — Sulphate of Iron, 12 grains ; Sulphuric Acid (diluted), 
1 drachm ; Sulphate of Quinine, 24 grains ; Tincture of Ginger, 2 
drachms ; Distilled Water, sufficient for 12 ounces. Take a table- 
spoonful three times a day, with good nourishing food. If the 
bowels are at all confined, add to the mixture 6 drachms of Sulphate 
of Magnesia. Paint the swollen part with Tincture of Iodine every 
night. 

GLANDERS (Farcy). 

This is a malignant disease occurring in the horse, the ass, and the 
mule, which man is liable to contract, by inoculation, or by simple 
contact with the skin. It is a horrible and loathsome disease, and 
very commonly proves fatal. An animal affected by it should at 
once be killed, and the body buried. 

Symptoms. — The chief symptom of its presence in the animal is 
inflammation of the lining membrane of the nostril, which becomes 
ulcerated, and emits a bloody, foetid, sticky, yellowish discharge. 
Shortly after the person contracts the disease there will be febrile 
symptoms, probably vomiting and diarrhoea ; small ulcerating 
tumors will form under the skin in various parts of the body, and 
the peculiar viscid discharge from the nostrils, which is the charac- 
teristic of the disease, will commence. No domestic treatment will 
be of service here. A physician should at once be consulted. 

GOUT. 

This is a disease of the blood, arising from a super-abundance of 
acid therein ; the pains generally attack the small joints, arising 
without any apparent external cause, but is preceded generally by 
an unusual affection of the stomach, infecting the articulations of 
the feet and hands, particularly the great toe, and the less inclined 
to shift, yet alternating with affections of the stomach or other 
internal parts. 

Causes. — Hereditary, pre-disposition, a peculiar saline acrimony 
of the blood, good living, and a sedentary life, intemperance of 
every kind, late hours, intense application to study, much grief or 



302 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

anxiety of mind, exposure to cold, more particularly by getting wet 
in the feet, and too free use of acidulated liquors ; it is mostly a 
disease of the wealthy. 

Symptoms. — A paroxysm of regular gout, sometimes comes on 
without warning ; at other times it is preceded by a sense of prick- 
ing, about the lower extremities, coldness and numbness of the feet 
and legs ; the appetite fails, the stomach uneasy, the body costive, 
the urine pallid, sometimes slight pains in passing it. On the night 
of the attack the patient is awakened by the severity of the pain, 
which has affected the joint of the great toe, the heel, calf of the 
leg, or perhaps the whole foot. This pain is accompanied with a 
sensation as if cold water was poured on the part, which is succeeded 
by a shivering, with some degree of fever. Afterwards the pain in- 
creases, and fixing among the small bones of the foot, the patient 
feels all the different kinds of torture, as if the part were stretched, 
burnt, squeezed, gnawed, or torn in pieces, &c. The patient is al- 
ways worse toward night and easier toward morning ; the paroxysm 
mostly grows milder every day, until at length the disease is carried 
off by perspiration, urine, and other evacuations. 

Treatment. — The patient ought to be kept quiet and easy; the 
diet should be nourishing, without being stimulating, — broths, pud- 
dings, jellies, light meats, &c, are therefore proper; but spirits or 
wine must be carefully avoided, as well as salt meats and all high 
seasoned food. The patient should retire to rest early. Take on 
the first day half an ounce of castor-oil; on the second day one 
drachm of tincture of hops in two ounces of the infusion of cascarilla, 
morning and night. The following has been found very useful : 
Rhubarb, guaicum gum, nitrate of potass, flowers of sulphur, of each 
one ounce ; molasses, one pound. Mix well together ; take from one 
to two teaspoonfuls (according to its aperient effects) every night, 
with a little warm gin and water. As a preventive, the following is 
highly recommended : Infusion of gentian one and a half ounces ; 
bicarbonate of potash, fifteen grains; tincture of rhubarb, one 
drachm. Mix ; to be taken at bedtime. 

HIP-JOINT DISEASE. 

This generally occurs in children of a scrofulous habit. It prevails 
in cold moist climates, and attacks chiefly children between the ages 
of seven and fourteen, though it is not unfrequently met with both 
before and after that time of life. 



DISEASES OF THE GENERAL SYSTEM. 303 

Symptoms. — The first symptom complained of is generally pain in 
the knee. Sooner or later, the patient is observed to walk awkwardly 
and less vigorously than usual, caused by the affected limb being 
elongated and emaciated. Pain is felt in the hip-joint itself, and 
though aggravated by motion, often becomes more severe from time 
to time, without any such cause of irritation. Collections of matter 
make their appearance, most frequently in the outer wall of the hip, 
but occasionally in the groin and hip. The patient, after a tedious 
illness, becomes hectic and dies, or recovers with a stiff joint, and 
wasted useless limb. 

Treatment. — As this disease is generally pretty far advanced before 
it is discovered, but little can be done for it in the way of domestic 
treatment. A surgeon should be consulted. As a general rule, 
counter-irritants in the first stages, such as blisters and setons, with 
a leech or two, if the swelling and inflammation accompanied with 
pain, is great. Afterwards the same treatment as that prescribed 
under the head Abscesses. 

INTOXICATION. 

Intoxication is the state produced by the excessive use of alcoholic 
liquids or inebriating substances. 

Treatment. — Administer a teaspoonful of spirits of hartshorn in a 
wineglassful of water, or give a wineglassful of camphor mixture. 
"When a person is found insensible from the effects of intoxication, 
he should be conveyed into a cool room and placed between blankets, 
with his head considerably raised, but the legs should hang down, 
and the feet be bathed in warm water. The clothes should be 
loosened, and barley-water or rice-water be given freely, though in 
small portions. Next, a gentle emetic is to be introduced, and the 
throat stimulated with a feather dipped in oil. After this the patient 
will probably fall into a sound sleep, and awaken some hours after- 
wards, partially if not wholly recovered. When the pulse and the 
breathing continue, and the body is hot, cloths dipped in cold water 
and applied to the head, neck, stomach, and breast, will frequently 
be of great service in restoring intoxicated persons to life and sen- 
sibility. 

LEPROSY. 

Leprosy is an eruption on various parts of the body of raised 
circular patches covered with white scales of the outer skin. These 



304 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

patches are surrounded by a reddish ring. The patches themselves 
are generally of a ring-like form, the centre being apparently healthy 
skin. The patches begin in the form of small smooth spots, and 
often enlarge considerably. When the scales are rolled off, they 
leave a dull red surface, on which the scales are speedily reproduced. 
Leprosy commonly commences at the knee, thigh, elbow, or forearm, 
and will, if not checked, often extend over the whole^ body. 

Treatment. — Take of Fowler's arsenical solution five drops, in a 
wineglassful of water three times a day. The dose to be gradually 
increased to eight or ten drops. Eub into the spots every night an 
ointment formed of native orpiment, three grains ; lard, one drachm. 
Or, take of compound tincture of bark, half an ounce; solution of 
potash, one drachm ; peppermint-water, six ounces ; take two table- 
spoonfuls three times a day. Also, apply externally, every morning 
and night, the following lotion: Borax, two drachms; honey, two 
ounces ; water, six ounces. Mix. 

LICE. 

These disgusting vermin most commonly appear when cleanliness 
is neglected, and especially in cases where the body-clothing and 
bed-clothing are used continuously without change. But there 
appear to be certain habits of body, and certain seasons of the year, 
which are favorable to the generation of this kind of vermin, — as, for 
instance, spring and autumn, and also during the prevalence of east 
winds. 

Treatment. — Wash the body well with vinegar and water, and 
afterwards rub in a lotion made as follows : Camphor, grated, half 
an ounce ; best white-wine vinegar, one pint ; water, one pint. Mix, 
and apply night and morning. Or, take equal parts of garlic and 
mustard, moisten with vinegar, and rub into the skin twice a day. 
For lice in the head, pound parsley-seed to a fine powder, and rub 
it well into the roots of the hair. Persons who are liable to this 
visitation should, at the spring and fall of the year, take every morn- 
ing, for a fortnight or three weeks, a teaspoonful of flowers of sul- 
phur in a little warm wilk. This serves to purify the blood, and 
correct the tissues. 

LUMBAGO. 

Lumbago is a rheumatic affection of the muscles of the loins. 
When the pain attacks the hip-joint it is termed sciatica. It is indi- 



DISEASES OF THE GENERAL SYSTEM. 305 

cated by stiffness and pain, and the pain is aggravated by stooping, 
sitting, or rising to the upright posture. It is most generally caused 
by exposure to wet or cold. 

Treatment. — Nothing affords greater relief than hot moist appli- 
cations to the back, continued from twelve to twenty-four hours at 
a time, and followed by the rubbing well into the back and loins of 
soap liniment, combined with one-sixth part of turpentine. Take 
also at bedtime ten grains of Dover's powder, with two grains of 
calomel; and, on the following morning, half an ounce of castor-oil. 
Take also twice a day ten grains of carbonate of potass, with one 
teaspoonful of sweet nitre, in a wineglassful of water. The follow- 
ing treatment has been highly recommended: Take every other 
morning a warm bath at ninety-six degrees; take also of the ammo- 
niated tincture of guaiacum, fifty drops in milk and water three times 
a day; rub into the parts affected — morning, noon, and night — the 
following liniment : spirit of hartshorn, one ounce ; olive-oil, two 
ounces; shake them together till they thoroughly unite. Every 
other evening, take one or two of the aperient pills as follows : soco- 
trine of aloes, thirty-six grains ; rub it well with eighteen grains of 
gum-mastic ; and add of compound extract of gentian, and compound 
galbanum pill, of each twenty-four grains ; oil of aniseed, a sufficient 
quantity to make twenty pills. Should the pain be urgent, one of 
the best and most efficacious remedies for its relief is the compound 
powder of ipecacuanha and camphor, three or four grains of each 
of which made into two pills, may be taken occasionally. This will 
not interfere with the effects of any other medicine. 

In very severe and obstinate cases of lumbago a cure can only be 
effected by mechanical means. This is effected by an instrument 
termed the " Thermal hammer." As this instrument can be used 
by any non-professional person, and may be made by any black- 
smith, we will give a description of it. Into an ordinary wooden 
handle there is inserted an iron rod about four and a half inches 
long, slightly bent at the end, and terminating with a disc, or round 
face, half an inch in diameter and a quarter of an inch thick. When 
this instrument is used, it is grasped so that the forefinger may rest 
upon the bend near the disc. The disc itself is then to be introduced 
into the flame of a spirit-lamp, or of a piece of burning paper, and 
held till the metal beneath the forefinger becomes uncomfortably 
hot ; the handle is then to be grasped, and the disc applied lightly 
and momentarily, and at short intervals, to the skin, over the part 



306 OUB FAMILY DOCTOR. 

affected. Each touch of the disc produces a shining mark on the 
skin, and very shortly the whole surface becomes reddened and 
slightly inflamed. The application of this instrument is on the 
principle known in medical practice as "counter-irritation," and heat 
thus being applied to heat, the excited action going on within the 
body is counteracted or withdrawn. 

LOW SPIRITS. 

This is a state of mind generally associated with dyspepsia, in 
which all kind of imaginary evils are conjured up, and the slightest 
pain or unusual feeling, is looked upon as the precursor of some 
dreadful malady. Persons so affected always fancy themselves on 
the verge of danger, and are fearful and irresolute in everything. 

Causes. — The causes are various. It may arise from intense 
study, some great stroke of affliction, indolence and inactivity, or 
excessive indulgence in venereal or other excesses, or deranged 
digestion. 

Treatment. — Change of scene, cheerful society, engaging the mind 
in some art or pursuit, which, although not too laborious, requires 
the use of the mental powers ; exercise, tepid and shower baths, are 
among the remedial measures in this case. The bodily health must 
be carefully watched and preserved. 

NIGHTMARE (Incubus). 

This is a distressing sensation experienced during sleep, and 
usually accompanied by frightful dreams. 

Causes. — A heavy supper just before going to bed; dyspepsia, 
mental irritation, great fatigue, lying in an uneasy position, may 
occasion it, as also the use of narcotic and intoxicating substances. 

Treatment. — Carefully shun all kinds of food likely to prove flatu- 
lent or of difficult digestion. Hot and heavy suppers are particu- 
larly injurious, as also are acids. Excess of sedentary employment 
should also be avoided. Take the following : — 

Carbonate of Soda, 10 grains. 

Compound Tincture of Cardamoms, 3 drachms. 

Simple Syrup, 1 drachm. 

Peppermint-Water, 1 ounce. 

Mix, for a draught, to be taken at bedtime. Or take, on going to 
bed, a teaspoonful of sal-volatile in a wineglassful of cold water. 



DISEASES OF THE GENERAL SYSTEM. 307 

PAINS IN THE BACK. 

Pains in the back are of many kinds, and may result from a 
variety of causes. 

Treatment. — If weakness be the cause, cold bathing, the shower 
bath, and squeezing a sponge repeatedly down the back, together 
with vigorous rubbing with a rough towel, will be found efficacious. 
Best, in a recumbent or semi-recumbent position, will also alleviate 
the pain and contribute to its removal. 

PAINS IN THE SIDE. 

Causes. — Pains in the side may arise from a rheumatic affection, 
or from derangement of the stomach. If the pains be situated high 
up in the region of the chest, they may be occasioned by inflamma- 
tory affection of the lungs, but in this case will be accompanied with 
more or less fever, and other symptoms indicative of the disorder. 
Pain on the right side, lower down, may be owing to an affection of 
the liver; on the left side, to affection of the pain on the left side. 
It, however, often occurs as a sympathetic affection, sometimes of 
the heart or lungs, in either sex. It is common in females at times 
of functional disorder. 

Treatment. — Regulate the state of the bowels by mild aperients ; 
and, if the system seems impoverished, and there has been much 
debility of the digestive organs, take twenty grains of the sequioxide 
of iron twice or thrice a day. Employ the warm bath frequently, 
and apply to the part affected a muslin bag filled with hops and 
well soaked in hot water ; also, rub in every fourth hour the follow- 
ing: Tincture of aconite, half an ounce; soap liniment, one and a 
half ounces. Mix. 

Obstinate and increasing pain of the side, which will not go away 
with the treatment above indicated, must on no account be neglected. 
There is evidently something radically wrong in the system, and the 
advice of a medical man must be taken. 

RHEUMATISM. 

The characteristic signs of this complaint are pains in the large 
articulations, following the tree or course of the muscles, and which 
are increased by external heat, together with fever. There are two 
kinds — acute and chronic. 



308 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

Causes. — Obstructed perspiration, occasioned by wearing wet 
clothes, sleeping on the ground, or in damp rooms, or by being 
exposed to cold air when the body is much heated, and the like. 

Symptoms. — In the acute, or what is called rheumatic fever, it 
usually comes on with lassitude and the rigors, succeeded by heat, 
thirst, anxiety, restlessness, and a hard, full, quick pulse, the tongue 
preserving a steady whiteness. After a short time excruciating pains 
are felt, more especially in the shoulders, wrists, knees, and hips; 
and these pains are shifting from one joint to another, leaving a red- 
ness and swelling in every part they have occupied, as also great 
tenderness to the touch. Towards evening there is usually an 
increase of fever, and during the night the pains become more 
severe. 

Chronic Rheumatism is attended with pains in the head, shoul- 
ders, knees, and other large joints, without any fever or inflamma- 
tion. The complaint is either confined to a particular part or shifts 
about. It continues some time and then goes off, leaving the part 
in a debilitated state, and is very liable to fresh attacks on the ap- 
proach of moist or damp weather. 

Treatment. — -Every symptom of this form of rheumatism proves it 
to be a disease of debility, consequently the mode of treatment must 
be founded upon this idea. Hence, stimulants of almost all kinds 
prove serviceable, together with tonics, warm "bathing, &c. Let the 
patient be clothed in flannel next the skin, and take an aperient pill 
every night and morning. Also, take thirty drops of the wine of the 
seeds of colchicum in camphor julep three times a day. Or, take of 
flowers of sulphur and mustard, of each half an ounce; honey or 
molasses, a sufficient quantity to form a paste. Take a piece of the 
size of a nutmeg several times a day, drinking after it a quarter pint 
of the decoction of lovage-root. The following have also been very 
beneficial : Guaiacum in powder, and soap, of each one drachm ; 
essential oil of juniper-berry, four drops; mix, and divide into 
twenty-eight pills, two to be taken four times a day. Or the 
following : — 

Spirit of Mindererus, *. 1 ounce. 

Cinnamon- Water, \ ounce. 

Laudanum, 15 drops. 

Antimoniai Wine, 25 drops. 

Syrup of Poppies, 2 drachms. 

Mix for a draught. 



DISEASES OF THE GENERAL SYSTEM. 309 

In Acute Rheumatism confine the patient in bed, and give half- 
grain doses of calomel and opium every four hours, and half ounce 
of castor-oil every other night. Or, keep the bowels open by means 
of gentle laxatives, administered occasionally throughout the course 
of the disease. Leeches maybe applied to the inflamed joints; and, 
to assist their action, take the following mixture : — 

Tartar Emetic, 2 grains. 

Tincture of Henbane, 2 drachms. 

"Water, 6 ounces. 

Mix. The whole to be taken in the course of the day, one or two 
table-spoonfuls at a time. The quantity of tartar emetic should be 
increased or diminished according to the effect produced on the 
stomach. This remedy, if carefully and perseveringly administered, 
will produce the most beneficial results. 

Herbal, or Eclectic Treatment for Eheumatism. 

Inflammatory rheumatism may be treated much like an acute fever. 
If young and strong, bleeding should be resorted to; and, to an 
adult, the following purgative: Calomel, fifteen grains; jalap, twenty 
grains. Mix them well together, in sugar and water or syrup ; after 
which take some gruel or warm balm, sage, or dittany tea, to produce 
a gentle perspiration. A tepid bath may then be taken, care being 
used that cold be not taken. Take for a few nights one drachm of 
cream of tartar, and a half drachm of gum guaiacum in powder, in a 
cup of wine whey. 

For Chronic Rheumatism. — Take a little powdered Indian turnip 
once or twice a day, in honey or sugar and water. Mustard or horse- 
radish should be taken with the food, and the body be encased in 
flannel and the flesh-brush frequently used. Where there is much 
weakness, from the long continuance of the disease, tonic medicines 
must be used. Dogwood bark, wild-cherry bark, and poplar bark, 
in equal quantities, made into a tea, and a wineglassful taken three 
times a day, is very good ; as is also eight or ten drops of elixir of 
vitriol, taken three or four times a day in a wineglassful of water. 

SCIATICA. 

This is a painful rheumatic affection, confined to the hip- joint and 
lower extremities, and affecting the large nerve (called the sciatic 
nerve) of the leg. 



310 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

Treatment — Apply a small blister on the spine at the bottom of 
the loins, and when it is removed sprinkle the surface with one-third 
of a grain of acetate of morphia, mixed in a little starch-powder. 
Or, apply to the part affected a bran poultice, to be followed twice 
or three times a day by an embrocation composed of one part of 
turpentine, and two parts of soap and opium liniment. A couple of 
drachms of this should be rubbed in for ten minutes at a time. 
Meanwhile, cleanse the bowels by a purgative, and if there is no 
tendency to fever, take drachm doses of carbonate of iron, three 
times in twenty-four hours. When the pain is very severe, accom- 
panied with general fever, leeches should be applied, and cooling 
purgatives taken. It will also be advisable to employ the hot bath 
at a temperature of 105 degrees, and to remain in it from fifteen to 
twenty-five minutes. This should be repeated two or three times a 
week. 

SCROFULA (King's Kml). 

This disease consists in hard indolent tumors on some of the 
glands on the various parts of the body, but particularly on the 
neck, behind the ears, and under the chin, which after a time sup- 
purate, and degenerate into ulcers, from which, instead of pus, a 
white curdled matter is generally discharged. 

Causes. — It may proceed from a hereditary taint, infection from 
a scrofulous nurse ; children born of sickly parents, whose constitu- 
tions have been injured by secret diseases, are very likely to be 
afflicted with this complaint. It may likewise proceed from what- 
ever tends to vitiate the humors and relax the solids, and very slight 
causes will produce it in those predisposed to it; such as blows, 
bruises, want of proper exercise, too much heat or cold, confined 
impure air, unwholesome food, bad water, the long use of poor weak 
watery aliments, and neglect of cleanliness ; and nothing tends more 
to induce this disease in children than allowing them to continue 
long wet. 

Symptoms. — At first small knots appear under the chin or behind 
the ears, which gradually increase in number and size, till they form 
one large hard tumor. This often continues a long time without 
breaking, until at length the skin covering the tumor acquires a 
purple or livid color, and being much inflamed they suppurate and 
break into little holes, from which a watery matter at first discharges ; 
but this changes by degrees, until it becomes a viscid, serous 



DISEASES OF THE GENERAL SYSTEM. 311 

discharge, much intermixed with small pieces of white substance 
resembling the curd of milk. Other parts of the body are also liable 
to its attacks, as arm-pits, groins, feet, hands, eyes, breast, &c. Nor 
are the internal parts exempt from it. It often affects the lungs, 
liver, or spleen, and frequently the glands of the mesentery are 
greatly enlarged by it. In some cases the joints become affected: 
they swell, and are incommoded with deep-seated excruciating pains, 
which are much increased upon the slightest motion. The swelling 
and pain continue to increase ; the muscles of the limbs become at 
length much wasted ; matter is soon afterwards formed, and is dis- 
charged by small openings bursting in the skin, being of an acrimo- 
nious nature; it corrodes the ligaments and cartilages, producing a 
caries or rotting of the neighboring bones. By absorption into the 
system of the matter, hectic fever at last arises, and consumption 
comes to end the sufferer's life. 

Treatment. — The body should be regularly submitted to cold or 
tepid bathing, in order to promote the healthy functions of the skin. 
The diet must be carefully regulated, consisting chiefly of animal 
food, taken at certain intervals. For children, a very nourishing 
food may be prepared by boiling a small bag filled with suet in 
cow's milk. It bears a strong resemblance to goat's milk, but has 
the advantage of being more astringent. A pure, dry, and temperate 
atmosphere is the best to live in ; and, during the summer months 
and the early autumn, much advantage may be derived from sea-air, 
combined with sea-bathing. All persons of scrofulous tendency 
should wear flannel continuously next their skin, it being the best 
protector of the body from the bad influence of our variable climate. 
A great variety of drugs have been employed in the treatment of 
scrofula, but they are all of secondary importance in comparison 
with the means above recommended. We give some of the most 
approved remedies for this disease : — 

Iodine, 1 grain. 

Iodide of Potash, 2 grains. 

Distilled Water, 8 ounces. 

Mix. To a child under seven years of age a dessert-spoonful of 
this mixture is to be given three times a day, in half a teacupful of 
water, sweetened with a little sugar. The dose to be gradually in- 
creased to two table-spoonfuls ; and the remedy is to be continued, 
if no unfavorable symptoms occur, for a period of four or five weeks ; 



312 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

its use is then to be suspended, and gentle laxatives are to be ad- 
ministered. After an interval of a fortnight, the mixture is to be 
again administered, commencing with a dessert-spoonful, and grad- 
ually augmenting the dose as before. At the expiration of a month, 
the remedy is again to be discontinued, and again renewed. In this 
manner, the means of cure may be employed with perfect safety, and 
continued until the desired end is accomplished. Or, if preferred, 
the following: — 

Gum Guaiacum, ^ ounce. 

Iron Filings, , £ drachm. 

White Sugar, ^ ounce. 

Mix. Of this powder a pinch, larger or smaller, according to the 
age of the child, is to be given twice a day, and continued for a con 
siderable length of time. If symptoms of fever show themselves, 
the remedy is to be discontinued for a time. Meanwhile, a tepid 
bath should be taken three times a week, and the diet confined 
chiefly to broth and milk. Or the following: — 

Take a table-spoonful of cod-liver oil three times a day, and with 
it, when the glands are swelling, two grains of iodide of potassium, 
three times a day, in infusion of orange-peel. Also, paint the scrofu- 
lous swellings lightly with tincture of iodine. When the glands 
have broken, stop the iodide. Then give twelve drops of solution 
of potash three times a day; and, after cleansing the sores with 
poultices, dress them with oxide of zinc ointment. 

Herbal, or Eclectic Treatment for Scrofula. 

Generally, we believe, nutritious food, pure air, great personal 
cleanliness, and gentle exercise, will be the best medicines for this 
distressing complaint. As soon as the swelling shows itself, apply 
a poultice, cold, of Indian turnip and slippery elm. Continue this 
till the swelling subsides or breaks, then use a poultice made of 
yellow or narrow dock-root and slippery elm. After a few days, 
change with a poultice made of equal parts of slippery elm, pulve- 
rized bayberry bark, and crackers. 

An eminent physician has recommended the use of Peruvian bark 
and steel, to be taken alternately every two weeks. Also, the muriate 
of lime in doses of ten and increasing to sixty drops three or four 
times a day, in tea or water. Much benefit has been derived from 
taking pills made of tar. Take common tar, boil it down hard 



.DISEASES OF THE GENERAL SYSTEM. 313 

enough to make into pills, and take four every day. These also have 
been found very useful : — 

Gather the leaves of coltsfoot, when at their full growth; dry 
them, and infuse them in the same manner as tea; drink this beve- 
rage freely, instead of the beverage ordinarily drank. 

Take every second day a few grains of rhubarb, drink freely of 
goat's whey, and apply to the scrofulous sore the following ointment 
lightly spread on lint : White ointment, one ounce ; levigated chalk, 
ten grains ; red precipitate powder, half a drachm. Mix. Salt water 
bathing is very useful. 

SCURVY. 

This complaint shows itself by a bleeding of the gums, and spots 
of different colors, on various parts of the body and limbs, on the 
skin, and the colors are, for the most part, purple or livid. 

Causes. — Indolence, confinement, want of exercise, neglect of 
cleanliness, sadness, salt or putrified food, and foul water, or the 
prevalence of cold and moisture. It is sometimes produced by over- 
fatigue. In some persons it is constitutional, or hereditary. 

Symptoms. — The scurvy comes on gradually, with heaviness, weari- 
ness, depression of the spirits, anxiety, and considerable debility. 
In the progress of the disease the countenance becomes sallow and 
bloated, and the respiration hurried; the teeth become loose, and 
the gums spongy and swollen, and bleed on the slightest touch ; the 
breath is offensive, and livid spots appear on various parts of the 
body; severe wandering pains are felt, especially at night. The 
urine is scanty, and the pulse small and frequent ; sometimes a scaly 
appearance of the skin; and the joints at last become swollen and 
stiff. 

Treatment. — Nutritious and fresh animal food ; rice, tapioca, and 
sago, together with acid fruits and drinks ; lemon-juice, in table- 
spoonful doses three times a day. Or the following: — 

Purified Nitre (saltpetre) 2 ounces. 

Best White-Wine Vinegar,., 1 quart. 

Mix. When dissolved, take a table-spoonful four times a day. If 
the gums are very bad, use to wash the mouth out frequently — de- 
coction of black-currant leaves, one pint ; muriatic acid, one drachm. 
Mix, and gargle the mouth four times a day. 



314 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

The following is very good : Take a dose of castor-oil, with ten 
drops of cream of tartar. If there be much pain and uneasiness, 
take at night twelve grains of Dover's powder ; afterwards the fol- 
lowing tonic : — 

Decoction of Bark, 6 ounces. 

Syrup of Orange-Peel, 1 ounce. 

Compound Tincture of Bark, 1 ounce. 

Carbonate of Ammonia, ^drachm. 

Mix, and take a sixth part twice or three times a day. Use a carrot 
poultice if ulcers appear on the legs, and dust the sores with car- 
bonate of iron ; or use this lotion — equal parts of tincture of myrrh 
and tincture of Peruvian bark, and wash twice a day. Avoid salt 
provisions and stimulants. When the scurvy is removed, treat as 
for indigestion. 

Herbal, oe Eclectic Treatment for Scurvy. 

The treatment of scurvy is not difficult. Attention to the stomach 
and bowels, pure air, cleanliness, and gentle exercise are the chief 
requisites for recovery. The following has proved very useful : Put 
into a stone jar a half pound of the root of the great water-dock, cut 
into thin slices, and pour upon it one gallon of boiling water. Cover 
up and let it stand for twenty-four hours ; then put the whole into a 
saucepan, and boil for ten minutes. Let it stand till cold, and strain 
off without squeezing. Dose, a half pint twice a day. 

The diet should be light and nutritious. Take plenty of acids and 
vegetables, with as much horseradish, mustard, cresses, &c, as 
wanted ; also, eat abundance of fruit. 

STIFFNESS OF JOINTS (Anchylosis). 

This may be caused by the introduction of the lava of an insect, 
or from a violent blow or fall, either of which will often bring on an 
inflammatory action, with an exudation and deposit of gritty matter, 
which settles between the bones forming the joints, and thus pre- 
vents their free movement. 

Treatment. — Take a vessel sufficiently deep to admit of the immer- 
sion of the leg up to above the knee. Nearly fill it with water of the 
temperature of ninety-eight degrees, and pour in a strong decoction 
of elder-flowers and tar. Take this bath night and morning ; and 



DISEASES OF THE GENERAL SYSTEM. 315 

apply to the affected part, three timee a day, compresses saturated 
with the following lotion: — 

Liquor of Ammonia, , 2% ounces. 

Camphorated Alcohol, 3 drachms. 

Bay Salt, I4- ounces. 

Water, 1 quart. 

Mix. The compresses should remain on for ten minutes at a time. 
Afterwards apply a plaster made as follows : Lard, ten ounces ; yellow 
wax, three ounces. Mix these over the fire, with just sufficient hot 
water to form a mass; and add grated camphor, three ounces. 
Remove from the fire, and let it cool. When sufficiently congealed, 
spread it with the blade of a knife or the handle of a spoon, upon a 
piece of linen of the size required ; and cover the whole with oilskin. 
Or, bathe the part night and morning with warm salt and water ; 
rub well in, two or three times a day, almond-oil ; and, at the same 
time, endeavor by gentle movement to loosen the joint. 

ULCERS. 

These generally proceed from some external injury, such as a 
wound or a bruise ; or they arise in consequence of inflammation or 
some other disease. There are several sorts, as healthy, irritable, 
indolent, inflamed, sloughing or gangrenous, and sinuous. 

Causes. — "Wounds, injuries, bruises, inflammations, abscesses, or 
the suppression of some accustomed evacuations. 

Symptoms. — A running sore, with acrid humors ; hardness of the 
edges round the sore, and difficulty of healing. 

Treatment. — In the healthy, which secrete good matter, and look 
to be healing, though but slowly, poultice with white bread or lin- 
seed poultice, a day or two ; then dress with the following : — 

Olive-Oil, 16 ounces. 

Yellow Wax, 1 pound. 

Yellow Eesin, 1 pound. 

Burgundy Pitch, 1 pound. 

Venice Turpentine, 3 ounces. 

Melt the wax, resin, and pitch together with the oil, over a slow 
fire. When mixed, take off the fire, and put in the turpentine ; stir 
well, and strain whilst hot through a coarse cloth. 



316 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

In the irritable, which are very sore and spread, use the same 
fomentation as prescribed for rupture ; take a cooling purgative, and 
use the following wash: — 

Nitric, or muriatic acid, fifty drops ; water, one quart. Mix, and 
wash the sore with this two or three times a day, and poultice a day 
or two with linseed whilst using it. Then dress with the following 
salve : — 

Venice Turpentine,.. 1 ounce. 

Frankincense, , 1 ounce. 

Beeswax, 1 ounce. 

Linseed-Oil, 1 ounce. 

Black Rosin, , 1 ounce. 

Black Pitch, 2 ounces. 

Melt together ; when cold enough, add fresh butter (without salt) 
or lard, sufficient to make it soft enough to dress with; apply twice 
a day. When it begins to look healthy, dress with the yellow-wax 
"ointment, as before recommended. 

The indolent ulcers are often on the legs, and require a similar 
treatment as the above. Persons suffering from bad and ulcerated 
legs, will find advantage in wearing elastic stockings. 

ULCERATION OF THE BONES (Canes). 

This is a disease of the bones analogous to ulceration of the soft 
parts. It most frequently attacks the bones of the spine; but it 
may affect any of the bones, especially such as are of a spongy 
texture. 

Causes. — The young, or those of a scrofulous habit of body, are 
most subject to this disease. It sometimes appears spontaneously; 
at others, as the result of an injury, as a blow or fall. 

Symptoms. — It begins with inflammation, usually attended with a 
dull, heavy pain, and weakness in the part affected. In course of 
time an abscess forms, which, if not arrested, at length bursts and 
discharges a thin fluid containing particles of the bone. In caries 
of the vertebrae, curvature of the spine takes place. 

Treatment. — Much may be done in arresting the progress of this 
disease in its earlier stages. The patient should be strengthened 
by good air and nourishing diet, at the same time that rest is en- 
joined. The state of the stomach and bowels should also be attended 
to. In the local treatment of the disease, blisters, leeches, and issues 



DISEASES OF THE GENEKAL SYSTEM. 317 

are to be employed. The abscesses are best left to nature, unless 
they are productive of much uneasiness. When they have burst, the 
exfoliation of the diseased part should be expedited as much as 
possible; or, when practicable, the whole of the diseased portion 
should be removed by a saw or gouge, so that the healthy portions 
may granulate and heal. 

WHITE SWELLING. 

This is a disease of one of the larger joints. It is mostly of a slow 
or chronic character, and occurs chiefly in the knee, although the 
elbow-joint, hip- joint, and even ankle-joint, are not unfrequently the 
seat of it. 

Causes. — This complaint may result from blows, falls, bruises, 
cold, fevers, and constitutional disorders. 

Treatment. — Early attention to this disease will prevent, in almost 
every case, its dreadful consequences. When the pain commences 
in the knee, a blister should be put on, and perfect rest strictly ob- 
served. If the pain continue after the blister be healed, not a mo- 
ment should be lost in putting on a caustic issue. The mere appli- 
cation of caustic has been known to cure the disease, but it is indis- 
pensable that the patient should not stand a moment on the limb. 
Or, in the early stage apply leeches and warm fomentations. If not 
reduced, put on a plaster made as follows : Reduce to a fine powder 
two ounces of gum-a,mmoniac ; and then add as much vinegar of 
squills to it as will form it into a paste, and spread it on a piece of 
leather and apply. 

WASTING (Emaciation— Atrophy). 

The rapid or gradual reduction of the size of the whole body, or 
of parts thereof, frequently comes on without any evident cause. It 
is seldom accompanied by pain, difficulty of breathing, cough, or 
fever; but is usually attended with loss of appetite and impaired 
digestion, depression of spirits, and general languor. 

Treatment. — This disease is very difficult of cure, and for its treat- 
ment we must endeavor to find out the cause, and, if possible, remove 
it. If occasioned by worms, these must be destroyed by appropriate 
medicines; if by excess of any kind, this must be wholly discon- 
tinued; if from a scrofulous disposition, tonic medicines must be 
resorted to ; and in like manner the treatment will be the same with 



318 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

that of every other disease which it may either accompany or of 
which it may be the effect. The diet should be nutritious, generous, 
and such as is easy of digestion, — milk, calves'-feet jelly, &c. Kegular 
walking exercise should be taken in the open air. The surface of the 
body should be well rubbed, and change of scene and sea-bathing 
may be resorted to. Of medicines, cod-liver oil is likely to prove the 
most effectual. 

It often occurs, more particularly in children, that wasting takes 
place without derangement of any other process than that of nutri- 
tion. In these cases a teaspoonful of cod-liver oil two or three 
times a day may often be followed by very decided and permanent 
benefit. 

WEAKNESS OF THE HAIR. 

The falling off of the hair is generally a sign of debility of consti- 
tution. 

Treatment. — The removal of the bodily weakness, and the general 
bracing up of the system, is the first step to take. Frequent cutting, 
and frequent brushing and washing, are the next methods. In addi- 
tion to this, there may be applied, every morning and evening, a 
portion of the following lotion : — 

Eau-de-Cologne, 2 ounces. 

Tincture of Cantharides, 2 drachms. 

Oil of Rosemary, 10 drops. 

Oil of Lavender, 10 drops. 

Mix. We append a number of the most approved remedies for 
weakness of the hair. Each should have a fair trial, till the right 
one is found: — 

Clean the hair with rum every night on a soft brush ; then comb 
it very gently, and pour cold water on the head every morning, after 
which thoroughly dry it. A drop or two of sweet-oil twice a week 
should also be used. Or the following: — 

Beef Marrow, 6 ounces. 

Nervine Balsam, 2 ounces. 

Peruvian Balsam, 2 ounces. 

Oil of Almonds, lj ounces. 

Extract of Cantharides, 16 grains. 

Melt the marrow and nervine balsam with the oil ; strain, add the 
balsam of Peru, and lastly the extract, dissolved in a drachm of rec- 



DISEASES OF THE GENEKAL SYSTEM. 319 

tified spirit. Rub on the scalp once or twice a day for some weeks. 
If any soreness be produced, it should be less frequently applied. 
Or the following : — 

Fresh Lemon-juice, 1 drachm. 

Extract of Bark, 2 drachms. 

Marrow, >.... 2 ounces. 

Tincture of Cantharides, 1 drachm. 

Oil of Lemon, 20 drops. 

Oil of Bergamot, 10 drops. 

Mix. First wash the head with soap and water, with a little 
eau-de-cologne ; then rub it dry. Next morning rub it with a small 
lump of pomade, and repeat it daily. In four or five weeks a cure 
will be effected. Or the following: — 

Burnt Alum, £ drachm. 

Biborate of Soda, |- drachm. 

Beef-Marrow, 1 ounce. 

Essence of Bergamot, 6 drops. 

Mix. To be rubbed on the head night and morning. Or the 

following : — 

Oil of Mace, £ ounce. 

Olive-Oil, 2 drachms. 

Water of Ammonia, £ drachm. 

Spirit of Bosemary, 1 ounce. 

Kose-Water, 2^ ounces. 

Mix. Or the following : — 

Bay Leaves, 2 ounces. 

Cloves, '. \ ounce. 

Spirit of Lavender, 4 ounces. 

Spirit of Thyme, 4 ounces. 

Digest for six days, filter, and add ether half an ounce. To be 
applied every morning. 

GRAY HAIRS. 

The sedentary, the studious, the debilitated, and the sickly, are, 
with very few exceptions, those who are earliest visited with gray 
hair. Persons whose employment renders much sitting necessary, 
and little or no exercise possible, are most likely to carry gray 
hairs. 

Treatment. — Mix thoroughly a small quantity of sub-nitrate of 
bismuth with any common pomatum, and brush a small quantity of 
it into the hair daily. 



320 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 



PART II. 



Diseases of Women. 



Women, in addition to the diseases incidental to both sexes, are 
subject, from their peculiar organization, to a number of distressing 
complaints; and, in many instances, through a mistaken sense of 
delicacy, their lives are shrouded in sadness and pain, from a want 
of proper information relating to their peculiar ailments. To woman 
is entrusted a most sacred charge — the germ of a new being, whose 
position and usefulness in life will be greatly influenced by her 
prudence or indiscretion. 

We shall treat, under their various heads, the principal forms of 
disease and suffering that commonly affect the women of civilized 
life. 

MENSTRUATION: ITS PHYSIOLOGY AND FUNCTIONS. 

The functions of the uterus, by which the menstrual, catamenial, 
or monthly discharges take place, generally commence between the 
fourteenth and sixteenth years of age, although we have known 
them to begin as early as eleven or twelve. A considerable period 
may elapse between the appearance of the first and second men- 
strual discharge; but, when they are properly established, their 
recurrence at regular periods may be calculated on with great cer- 
tainty, unless some functional or other derangement of the system 
interferes with them. Ordinarily, a lunar month of twenty-eight 
days is the intervening period; but with some women the discharge 
occurs every third week. The fluid discharged resembles blood in 
color, but it does not coagulate. The quantity is from three to five 
ounces, and the process occupies from three to seven days. 



MM 



DISEASES OF WOMEN. 321 

The cause of this monthly flow is the ripening and expulsion of 
the egg from the ovaries. We quote from Professor C. D. Meigs, 
of Philadelphia, a reliable and competent authority on these 
matters : — 

" ' Omne vivum ex ovo,' (every living thing comes from an egg, 
or germ), is the universal law of reproduction. This can be shown 
as well in the vegetable as in the animal kingdom. The sturdy oak 
from the acorn, the ear of corn from the grain planted by the farmer, 
the robin and the elephant, all springing from germs, go to prove 
the truthfulness of this law. Every seed, every egg, contains a 
germ, which, when brought under proper influences, will produce 
of its own kind. Thus far all is plain enough, but where do these 
germs originate? It has been ascertained that each animal, as well 
as each plant, is provided with an organ for the production and 
throwing off of these cells or germs. In the female, this organ is 
the ovary. The ovaries are two in number — small oval bodies, about 
one inch in length, a little more than half an inch in breadth, and a 
third of an inch in thickness. This measurement will differ in some 
cases, but will be found generally correct. Each ovary is attached 
to an angle of the womb, about one inch from its upper portion, by 
a ligament. The whole physiological function or duty of the ovary, 
is to mature and deposit its ova or eggs every twenty-eighth day, 
from the age of fifteen to that of forty-five, or for about thirty years. 
This function is suspended only during pregnancy and nursing, but 
sometimes not even then. There are numerous cases on record 
where the woman has had her courses regularly during the time she 
was pregnant, and there are many with whom lactation does not at 
all interfere. During the maturation or ripening, and discharging 
of the ovum into the canal or tube which conveys it into the womb, 
the generative organs become very much congested, looking almost 
as if inflamed. This congestion at last reaches such a height that 
it overflows, as it were, and produces a discharge of bloody fluid 
from the genitalia, or birth-place. As soon as the flow commences, 
the heat and aching in the region of the ovaries, and the weight and 
dragging sensation diminish and gradually disappear. Thus you 
will see that menstruation consists merely in the ripening and dis- 
charge of an ovum or egg, which, when not impregnated, is washed 
away by the menstrual fluid, or blood, poured out from the vessels 
on the inner surface of the womb. It will also be seen that a woman 
can become pregnant only at or near the time of her menses. The 



322 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

marvellous regularity of menstruation has always excited great 
wonder, but why should it ? When we look around, we see that 
both animal and vegetable life have stated and regular times at 
which germ production takes place. Fruits and vegetables ripen, 
and animals produce their young at certain periods. It is a law of 
nature, and why should not woman obey it in her monthly term ? 
Now since we have shown that menstruation consists in the ripen- 
ing and regular deposit of an egg — the flow being but the outward 
visible sig^ of such an act — it is possible that a woman may men- 
struate regularly without having any show. To prove this, there 
are many cases on record where a woman has married, and become 
pregnant without having had the least show, which would be im- 
possible if she did not menstruate. Again, a woman who has 
always been regular may have several children, without in the 
meantime having had any sign. This may be explained by her 
becoming pregnant during the time she was nursing her first child, 
carrying it to the full term, again becoming pregnant, and so on, 
until being no longer impregnated, her courses return, and are 
regular thereafter. 

" Menstruation commences at about the age of fourteen or fifteen 
in this country. In warmer climates it appears earlier, and in colder 
ones later. Menstruation, menses, courses, catamenia, monthly 
periods, and ' being unwell,' are some of the terms by which this 
function is designated. Those who are brought up and live luxu- 
riously, and whose moral and physical training has been such as to 
make their nervous systems more susceptible, have their courses at 
a much earlier period than those who have been accustomed to 
coarse food and laborious employment. The appearance of the 
menses before the fourteenth year is regarded as unfortunate, indi- 
cating a premature development of the organs ; while their postpone- 
ment until after the sixteenth year is generally an evidence of weak- 
ness, or of some disorder of the generative apparatus. If, however, 
the person has good health, and all her other functions are regular ; 
if her spirits are not clouded, nor her mind diill and weak, it should 
not be considered necessary to interfere to bring them on, for irre- 
parable injury may be done. The first appearance of the menses 
is generally preceded by the following symptoms: Headache, 
heaviness, languor, pains in the back, loins, and down the thighs, 
and an indisposition to exertion. There is a peculiar dark tint of 
the countenance, particularly under the eyes, and occasionally un- 



DISEASES OF WOMEN. 323 

easiness and a sense of constriction in the throat. The perspiration 
has often a faint or sickly odor, and the smell of the breath is pecu- 
liar. The breasts are enlarged and tender. The appetite is fasti- 
dious and capricious, and digestion is impaired. These symptoms 
continue one, two, or three days, and subside as the menses appear. 
The menses continue three, five, or seven days, according to the 
peculiar constitution of the woman. The quantity discharged 
varies in different individuals. Some are obliged to make but one 
change during the period, but they generally average from ten to 
fifteen. 

" It is during the menstrual period that the system, especially of 
young persons, is more susceptible to both mental and physical 
influences. Very much depends upon the regular and healthy action 
of the discharge, for to it woman owes her beauty and perfection. 
Great care should therefore be used to guard against any influences 
that may tend to derange the menses. A sudden suppression is 
always dangerous ; and among the causes which may produce it may 
be mentioned sudden frights, fits of anger, great anxiety, and pow- 
erful mental emotions. Excessive exertions of every kind, long 
walks or rides, especially over rough roads, dancing, frequent run- 
ning up and down stairs, have a tendency not only to increase the 
discharge, but also to produce falling of the womb." 

The quantity and duration of the emission varies greatly in differ- 
ent women, and unless the former is either very scanty or excessive, 
these do not appear important particulars ; but the regular recur- 
rence of the issue is important to health. This should be borne in 
mind, and due care taken not to suppress the discharge by exposure 
to cold or wet, or by violent exertion of any kind about the time 
when it may be expected. It is desirable that young females should 
be properly informed by their mothers, or those under whose care 
they are placed, of what may be expected at a certain age, or they 
may be alarmed at the first appearance of the menses, taking it to 
be some indication of a dangerous disease or injury, and, perhaps, 
by mental agitation, or a resort to strong medicines, do mischief to 
themselves. 

DISEASES OF THE MENSTKUAL FUNCTION. 

DELAYED OR OBSTRUCTED MENSTRUATION. 

If the menses do not appear at the usual age, or for some years 
after, no alarm need be felt, provided there is no constitutional 



324 OUE FAMILY DOCTOR. 

derangements which can be attributed to this cause. If the girl has 
not developed about the hips and breast, and feels not the changes 
peculiar to this period, it would be very injurious to attempt to 
force nature. If, however, she is fully developed, and her general 
health suffers, a course of treatment will be necessary. 

Causes. — An undeveloped state of the germ-producing organs; 
an impoverished condition of the blood ; habitual costiveness ; or the 
womb may be closed, or hymen be imperforate. 

Symptoms. — Discharges of blood will sometimes occur from the 
nose, mouth, and gums, or from the stomach and bowels. Nearly 
always there will be unnatural heats and flushings, headache, ten- 
dency to faint, and hysterical symptoms. 

Treatment. — The patient must be very attentive to her diet and 
regimen. Much exercise should be taken in the open air. Avoid 
late hours, rich food, and exciting pursuits. If the retention pro- 
ceed from costiveness or bad condition of the system, use the means 
as directed under the several heads. If from a mechanical cause, a 
physician must be consulted. Where it results from defective action 
of the ovaries, give the following : — 

Carbonate of Iron, 1 drachm. 

Extract of Gentian, 1 drachm. 

Mix, and make into thirty pills. Dose, one pill two or three times 
a day. 

SUPPRESSED MENSTRUATION (Amenorrhea). 

Suppression is the stoppage of the menses after they have been 
once established. It may be either acute or chronic. 

Causes. — Sudden cold, wet feet during the flow, fear, strong 
emotions, anxiety, or any cause that affects the general health. 
Chronic suppression may result from the acute, or from defective 
nutrition of the organs ; from the early termination of menstrual 
functions, or from the weakness occasioned by a profuse discharge 
of whites from the uterus. 

Symptoms. — The symptoms usually present in a well-developed 
body are all those mentioned in delayed menstruation, in a more 
aggravated form. In chronic suppression, failure of the general 
health, loss of appetite, pains in the head, back, and side, and con- 
stipation, are the usual symptoms. At the regular periods when the 



DISEASES OF WOMEN. 325 

menses ought to appear, there will be great excitability, and an 
aggravation of the above symptoms. With those of full habit, there 
will be a strong, bounding pulse, with acute pain in the head, back, 
and limbs ; with the feeble and sickly, extreme languor, tremblings, 
shiverings, and pale visage. 

Treatment. — Care must be taken that pregnancy is not the cause 
of the stoppage, or the health may be seriously injured by treatment 
for their restoration. Where the flow has stopped suddenly from 
exposure, the patient must take warm diluent drinks, saline aperients, 
till the bowels are freely opened; have hot bran-poultices applied 
to the lower part of the abdomen; immerse the feet and legs in hot 
water, rendered stimulant by the addition of mustard. If the pain 
is extreme, take an opiate draught every four hours, and have a lave- 
ment, with one drachm of turpentine and half a drachm of tincture 
of opium thrown up. The patient must be kept as quiet as possible. 
If it can not be brought on, wait till the next period, and use the 
hip-bath a few days before the period. Every other night the bath 
should be made more stimulant by the addition of a little mustard ; 
and, on every occasion, active friction with dry coarse towels should 
be used. A lavement containing two drachms of spirits of turpen- 
tine may also be useful ; and a leech or two applied to each thigh, 
on the upper part, as near to the situation of the uterus as may be< 
Also, give the following, which seldom fails if persisted in : — 

Barbadoes Aloes, 1 drachm. 

Sulphate of Iron, 1 drachm. 

Powdered Cayenne, \ drachm. 

Extract of Gentian, ^drachm. 

Simple Syrup, sufficient quantity. 

Mix, and make into sixty pills. Dose, one pill night and 
morning. 

The warm hip-bath should be used about the proper period of 
menstruation ; and it would be well to give some uterine stimulant, 
such as a mixture composed of spirits of turpentine, made into an 
emulsion with yolk of an egg, sugar, and essence of juniper, about 
six drachms of the first and one of the last, in a six-ounce mixture. 
One ounce to be taken three times a day. Attempts to promote the 
discharge in any case must not be prolonged much beyond the 
menstrual periods, between which all possible means must be taken 
to strengthen the system, — good diet, plenty of active exercise, the 



326 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

use of the shower-bath, or cold or tepid sponging; steel mixture, 
with aloes and iodine, in one or other of its forms, are the proper 
remedies. 

If the amenorrhea proceeds from a want of energy in the uterine 
organs to secrete the red discharge, as is often the case after fre- 
quent miscarriages, child-bearing, or inflammation of the womb, as 
well as after leucorrhcea, or "whites," there will probably be the 
usual signs of menstruation, followed by a white discharge only, and 
accompanied by acute pain at the bottom of the back, vertigo, and 
hysteria. Weakly young women, before accession of the menses, 
and elderly ones, at the time of their cessation, or "change of life," 
as it is commonly called, are often so affected. In such a case we 
should prescribe hot baths and tepid injections, pills of sulphate of 
iron and aloes, with balsam of copaiba, ten or twenty drops in milk, 
three times a day ; or powdered cubebs, from a scruple to half a 
drachm ; good diet and a recumbent position as much as possible 
during the periods. If the patient is of a full habit, apply leeches, 
ten or twelve over the sacrum, to be followed by a blister, with re- 
stricted diet, and, for a time, avoidance of sexual intercourse. 

PAINFUL MENSTRUATION {Dysmenorrhea). 

This is the rule with some females, but the exception with most. 
It does not seem to be in any way connected with the quantity of 
the discharge, and it may attend both the secretion and the emission ; 
or but one or other of the processes, and but partially, coming on in 
paroxysms, or continually, during the whole process. The matter 
discharged is often thick and membraneous, and sometimes has in 
it clots and streaks of blood. 

Causes. — The cause of this is not very clear. It has been ob- 
served to occur after strong mental emotions, a cold caught during 
the menstrual period, a fright or other shock to the system, and 
would seem to indicate an irritable state of the womb. 

Treatment. — Use the warm hip-bath and friction ; fomentation of 
the parts with warm water ; diluent drinks, saline aperients, and a 
spare diet, must be followed; also, injection of warm water high up 
into the vagina; and take the following mixture: — 

Tincture of Aconite-Leaves, 2 drachms. 

Best Spirits of Nitre, 1 ounce. 

Morphia, 3 grains. 

Simple Syrup, 4 ounces. 

Mix. Dose, one teaspoonful every half hour till relieved. 



DISEASES OF WOMEN. 327 

PROFUSE MENSTRUATION (Menorrhagia). 

This consists either in the too frequent return, or too long con- 
tinuance of the periods; or in an excess of quantity during the 
natural periods ; or in the character of the discharge being other 
than it should be, such as thick, fibrous, or bloody. 

Causes. — This is in consequence of irritability of the uterine 
system, probably produced by over-exertion, luxurious living with 
insufficient exercise, or excesses of any kind ; too rapid child-bearing, 
frequent miscarriages, or protracted lactation. The habitual use of 
tea and coffee will also produce it. 

Symptoms. — It is generally accompanied by pain across the loins, 
great languor and debility, throbbing of the temples, headache, and 
vertigo. When there is much haemorrhage, there is an aggravation 
of these symptoms, sometimes followed by dropsy of the cellular 
tissue. 

Treatment. — In persons of full habit, where the menses are not 
bloody, the following may be taken: — 

Sulphate of Iron, 12 grains. 

Dilute Sulphuric Acid, 1 drachm. 

Sulphate of Magnesia, 6 drachms. 

Cinnamon- Water, 12 ounces. 

Mix. Take two table- spoonfuls three times a day= If there is 
much pain, add tincture of henbane, two drachms; or compound 
infusion of roses may be taken, with sulphate of magnesia ; or ten 
or fifteen drops of the muriated tincture of iron in water, with or 
without the salts, as the bowels may require, two or three times a 
day. Sponge the loins and pubenda with vinegar and water, use 
the hip-bath, but let it be cold water, with a little salt in it, to 
strengthen the system as much as possible, and avoid all enervating 
influences. If there is blood in the discharge, use cold vaginal in- 
jections, with alum and opium in them, or the latter with gallic 
acid, about a drachm of each to a quart of water. Apply hot bran- 
poultices to the breasts ; keep the feet warm, but let the loins be 
lightly covered; take gentle exercise, bitter ale, and tonics, espe- 
cially iron. 

CESSATION OP MENSTRUATION. 

As the accession of the menses shows when the womb is in a fit 
state for conception, so then, cessation gives notice that the period 



328 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

of child-bearing is past. With females of our age and country they 
commonly continue up to the age of from forty to fifty; sometimes 
they cease at about thirty-five, and in a few instances have been 
known to continue up to the age of sixty. This cessation marks 
what is commonly termed the turn or change of life in women, and 
with those of average health it occasions little or no disturbance of 
the general system. There may be flushings of the face, and a sense 
of fullness in the head, with occasional giddiness ; but with those 
who are weakly and nervous, or suffering under any organic disease, 
we generally see a marked change at this period, — it may be for the 
better or worse, according to circumstances. With most persons 
the stoppage of the menses is a gradual process, — the quantity 
decreases, or the intervals become protracted, and it is probably 
superseded by a white discharge, which also will by and by dis- 
appear; with some the cessation is sudden and complete. 

Women generally consider this an eventful period of their lives, 
and attribute all sorts of wonderful effects to it; but we can not 
learn that a sickly constitution was ever renovated at this time, or 
a strong one ever broke down in consequence of the change ; indeed, 
fewer women than men die at the age when it usually takes place. 
Diseases of the genital organs, and of the breasts, which are sympa- 
thetically associated with them, require special attention at this time, 
as they are likely to be stimulated into activity. When there are no 
complications of disease connected with the change, little or no 
medical treatment is required. It is best to observe an abstemious 
diet, and to keep the bowels moderately open with rhubarb or colo- 
cynth pills; powdered aloes, with canella, commonly called hiera 
picra, is a popular opening medicine, and as good as any for such 
an occasion, except the patient be of a very full habit, in which case 
it should be a saline aperient like the following: Dissolve two 
ounces of epsom salts in a pint of warm water, add one drachm of 
essence of peppermint, and take a wineglassful every morning, or 
twice a day if required. If there is flatulency or hysteria, add to 
each dose twenty drops of the foetid spirits of ammonia, or the same 
of ether. 

Herbal, or Eclectic Treatment for Menstrual Disorders. 

The general treatment is the same as before mentioned. On the 
first appearance of the menses, let the greatest care be exercised 



DISEASES OF WOMEN. 329 

over the health ; let nothing check the natural flow. Colds taken at 
this time are very dangerous, and may result in delicate health, bar- 
renness, and even death. 

For suppressed menstruation, as soon as possible use the tepid 
foot-bath. At the same time sit over a vessel of warm water, in 
which has been boiled some bitter herbs, till a profuse perspiration 
is produced. Then retire to a warm bed, and take every hour or 
two a teacupful of warm tea made from the root of bervine. If this 
is not successful, give a little pulverized mandrake-root, with a little 
cream of tartar, on an empty stomach; after which pennyroyal or 
motherwort tea may be drank freely. If much pain is felt, apply 
fomentations of bitter herbs to the region of the womb, or a heated 
brick may b& placed over the bowels. For profuse menstruation, 
the patient should assume the recumbenb position, with the hips 
elevated as much as possible, on a hard bed, in a cool room. Bathe 
well the lower part of the abdomen with cold water or vinegar. 
From thirty to forty drops of elixir of vitriol may be taken, in a 
glass of water, two or three times a day; or ten to fifteen drops of 
the tincture of steel given in the same manner. The following has 
been highly recommended: — 

Take equal parts of red-alder bark, yarrow, mullen, and crowfoot, 
and half the quantity of beth-root ; make into a tea ; when cold, drink 
a teacupful every three or four hours. If faintness be felt, take a 
few drops of lavender or spirits of hartshorn in a little cold 
water. 

In painful menstruation, great benefit is received from the use 
of the warm bath; and apply hot water in bottles to the whole 
surface of the abdomen, with hot bricks to the feet; or apply a 
hot poultice or fomentation of hops, tansy, or boneset, and take the 
following : — 

Pulverized Camphor, 25 grains. 

Macrotin, 25 grains. 

Ipecac, 25 grains. 

Cayenne, 12 grains. 

Opium, 12 grains. 

Mix, and make into twenty-four pills, with extract of hyosciamus, 
and take one pill every two, three, or four hours, according to the 
urgency of the case. 



330 



OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 




The Womb and its Appendages. 

a, Eight Ovary; b, b, the Fimbriae; c, c, the Fallo- 
pian Tubes ; d, an Ovum being grasped by the Fim- 
briae ; e, an Ovum descending the Fallopian Tube to 
the Womb; /, Cavity of the "Womb; g, g, Walls of 
the Womb ; h, Wall of the Vagina ; k, k, Ligaments 
of the Organs. 



THE WOMB AND ITS DISEASES. 

This most important organ in woman is situated in the cavity of 
the pelvis, — from whence, when distended in pregnancy, it rises into 
the abdomen, with the general lining membrane of which and the 
Fig. 93. . pelvis, called the peritoneum, 

it is covered. It is of a flat- 
tened pear-shape, and is held 
in its place by elastic liga- 
ments. In its unimpregnated 
state it is about three inches 
in length by two in breadth 
across the broadest part, and 
one in thickness. At the pe- 
riod of puberty it weighs 
about one and a half ounces ; 
after parturition, from two to 
three ounces ; and in the ninth 
month of utero-gestation, 
from two to four pounds. It 
is supplied with glands, ves- 
sels, and nerves, the latter of which constitute an extensive network 
over its entire surface. 

The ovaries are two in number — one on each side of the uterus, 
in the groin. They are nearly as large as the male testicles, and 
perform a corresponding function. When the germ (or ovum) has 
been perfected in the ovary, it is cast out, and seized by the ex- 
tremity of one of the fallopian tubes, through which it is conducted 
to the uterus. 

FALLING OP THE WOMB {Prolapsus Uteri). 

Prolapsus Uteri is the falling of the womb from the weakening 
of its membraneous supports and the pressure of the viscera above, 
generally increased by tight lacing, the pressure of the clothing, 
sustained by the abdomen and adding to its weight upon the uterus, 
and by the pressure of a load of fseces in the constipated rectum, 
and the daily efforts to expel them. These causes, all acting 
together, press the uterus down the vagina until it sometimes comes 
out externally. As nearly all women are exposed to some of these 
causes of falling of the womb, nine in ten have more or less of it. 



DISEASES OF WOMEN. 331 

Even young girls, eighteen or twenty years old, have falling of the 
womb. Yery few entirely escape it, for very few women are entirely 
well. 

Treatment. — Avoid tight corsets and heavy skirts; suspend the 
under garments from the shoulders, and not from the waist, as is 
usually done ; avoid fatigue, and lie down as much as possible ; use 
the cold hip-bath once or twice a day, and inject cold water into the 
vagina with a syringe ; use plain vegetable diet, and avoid tea and 
coffee, spirituous drinks, &c. If the womb has descended to the 
external orifice, it is often necessary to restore it to its natural 
situation by pressing it upward and backward by a finger or two 
passed into the vagina. If there be any pain in this operation, the 
vagina should be well washed by injections of thick flaxseed or 
slippery-elm bark tea for a day or two before the astringent washes 
are used. 

When the womb has passed completely out of the vagina, which 
is always drawn down and inverted, the parts sometimes become 
suddenly so swelled that it would be impossible, as well as improper, 
to return them at once. The inflammation is to be reduced by 
leeches, ice-water, or warm fomenting poultices of bread and milk, 
or hops and flaxseed, continually applied until the swelling and pain 
subside ; then, with the hand well oiled, and the patient's hips well 
elevated upon a cushion or pillow at the edge of the bed, the organ 
is to be passed carefully within the vagina, and restored to its 
natural situation. The bowels and bladder must be regularly 
evacuated; but the patient should not be allowed to rise for several 
days, and should even then assume the upright position very 
gradually and cautiously, after having used injections composed of 
the following ingredients: — 

Take one drachm of alum, and dissolve it in half a pint of clear 
water; or, half an ounce of the inner bark of the black oak, with 
three gills of water ; boil down to a pint, and strain. Two ounces 
of either of these preparations should be injected into the vagina 
by means of a vagina-syringe. This operation should be repeated 
twice a day, for a week or more, — the syringe being always well 
lubricated with lard or oil, that it may be introduced without 
difficulty or pain. 

If there is much sensibility, use from thirty to forty drops of 
laudanum in the injection, and repeat the operation daily till it is 
removed. If there are frequent relapses, a pessary must be worn. 



332 OUB FAMILY DOCTOR. 

The womb is also liable to fall either backwards {Retroversion) or 
forwards (Anteversion), but the treatment of these conditions must 
be confided to an experienced physician. 

INFLAMMATION OF THE OVARIES (Ovaritis). 

This disease is characterized by pain, heat, swelling, perhaps red- 
ness, in one or both groins. It is to be treated as any other inflam- 
mation — sitz-baths, with rest, and a strict diet. The bowels must 
be occasionally opened by a gentle aperient, as castor-oil. Injec- 
tions of tincture of belladonna and hyoscyamus are very useful and 
soothing. 

INFLAMMATION OF THE WOMB. 

The treatment is the same, with the addition of injections, both 
to the rectum and vagina, cold if they can be borne, or with the 
chill off. 

The ovaries, uterus, and fallopian tubes are so closely connected 
in situation and function, that they are generally inflamed together. 
The cause may be weakness, causing a local determination of some 
general disturbance, such as cold or irritation of these organs. It 
usually follows childbirth, abortions, or excessive and violent sexual 
intercourse. 

ULCERATION OF THE NECK OF THE WOMB. 

Ulceration of the neck of the womb is produced by corroding dis- 
charges and the irritation of continual sexual intercourse. It is 
readily cured by abstinence, vaginal injections, and direct applica 
tion to the parts of a strong solution of nitrate of silver once in five 
or six days; or the ulcers touched with solid nitrate of silver once 
in five days. 

FLOODING (Uterine Haemorrhage). 

This commonly occurs after abortion, in the puerperal stage of 
labor, or it may be occasioned by disease of the womb. Immoderate 
flow of the menses is also called flooding, and to this some women 
are very subject. It is extremely weakening to the system, and 
should be checked as soon as possible. 



DISEASES OF WOMEN. 333 

Treatment. — The -best treatment is perfect quiet, and astringent 
and tonic medicines like the following: — 

Tincture of the Sesquichloride of Iron, 2 drachms. 

Infusion of Quassia, 6 drachms. 

Mix, and take a table-spoonful every four hours. If there is much 
pain and irritation, add tincture of conium, or hyoscyamus, Wo 
drachms. Should this not have the desired effect, consult a medical 
man, as there may be disease of the womb. 

POLYPUS OF THE WOMB. 

When a woman has been wasting away for some time, under a 
more or less copious discharge of blood, and the remedies recom- 
mended under the head of flooding, have been faithfully but unsuc- 
cessfully used, — when, during this time, she has remained free from 
burning and pain in the part, but has merely complained of a sense 
of weight in the womb, — there is great reason to suppose that she 
has a polypous excrescence growing there, and the best advice 
should be at once procured. 

CANCER OF THE WOMB. 

Symptoms. — A sudden pain which shoots through the bottom of 
the abdomen, and either disappears entirely, or leaves after it a dull 
aching or a gnawing sensation, accompanied by more or less dis- 
charge of a fluid, which is sometimes pale and thin, but soon be- 
comes thicker, yellower, perhaps streaked with blood, and very 
offensive. This pain is gradually rendered more severe and almost 
constant, and an exhausting haemorrhage sets in at times, perhaps 
continuing until checked by fainting. In other cases, a burning 
heat, followed by a foetid discharge of matter mixed with streaks or 
spots of blood. 

Treatment. — Cleanliness, fresh air, plain nutritious diet, regulation 
of the bowels, and tranquillity of mind, are all that can be recom- 
mended in a work like this. The woman who has the misfortune to 
be visited with this affection, must resolutely determine to retire 
early from the active duties of life, and be content to abstain from 
indulgences which would heat the system, excite her passions, and 
increase the circulation of blood. Bland, soothing nourishment, and 



334 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

local applications, are all that can be administered until she can have 
judicious and experienced medical assistance. Her bowels should 
be kept open by the mildest laxatives that will effect the object; 
the foetid and erosive discharges should be washed away by injec- 
tions of flaxseed tea, Castile-soapsuds, or a solution of chloride of 
lime or soda, with a little hop or camomile tea. When the hsemor- 
rhage becomes very profuse, the vagina should be plugged up with 
a fine sponge or a strip of soft cotton or linen rag, imbued with 
strong alum-water. 

Formidable as the last two diseases are, they are not always 
beyond the reach of surgery. 

WHITES (Leucorrhosa). 

There is no disease so common among women as this complaint. 
Few married women, particularly if they are mothers, escape its 
attacks. Very generally this troublesome discharge is associated 
with general debility, especially if it has continued profuse for any 
length of time. Hence it is very desirable that attention should be 
paid to it at the commencement; for, if neglected, it may seriously 
impair the constitution, and grow from a comparatively mild affec- 
tion into an inveterate and dangerous disease. 

Causes. — Over-exertion of the uterine organs, irritation of the 
rectum from loaded and constipated bowels. It may also be brought 
on by diarrhoea, piles, worms, irritation of the bladder or of the 
nervous system, excessive sexual intercourse, miscarriage, abortion, 
and displacement of the womb. Weakness, too, is a cause of fluor 
albus, as well as a consequence of its long continuance ; confinement 
in a warm atmosphere, luxurious living, and chlorosis must likewise 
be numbered among its exciting causes. 

Symptoms. — This disease may be distinguished from gonorrhoea 
by the absence of local irritation and swelling of the external parts, 
and the glands of the groin ; also by the discharge being less regular 
and copious. In leucorrhoea this is commonly at first white and 
pellucid, or it may be opaque and thick, coming away now and then 
in lumps. After awhile the color will perhaps change to green, 
yellow, or brown, and sometimes it will become very acrid, causing 
abrasion and smarting on passing the urine. In this stage it is apt, 
especially during pregnancy, to cause a gleety discharge from the 
urethra of one having sexual intercourse with the patient. Ere long, 



DISEASES OF WOMEN. 335 

if the disease is not checked, we get great local irritation and con- 
stitutional disturbances : there will be costive bowels, pains in the 
loins and back, great lassitude, with nervous and hysterical affections. 
Menstruation, too, will be irregular, at one time being altogether 
suspended, and at another too abundant. 

Treatment. — If the patient is of full habit, saline aperients should 
be taken, and a spare diet observed ; local ablutions should be prac- 
tised three or four times a day, using occasionally a decoction of 
poppies for the purpose; the hip-bath, and an injection of goulard 
water, with a scruple of powdered opium in each pint, will also be 
found serviceable. The recumbent position should be preserved as 
much as possible, and the parts kept cool. The practice of wrapping 
them up is objectionable, as it heats and weakens them. Local 
treatment will be of little avail in cases of long standing, unless the 
general health be attended to. To keep the bowels gently open, 
take five grains compound rhubarb pill, as often as required ; and to 
strengthen and cool the system the following mixture : — 

Sulphate of Iron, 12 grains. 

Diluted Sulphuric Acid, 1 drachm. 

Sulphate of Magnesia, 4 drachms. 

Cinnamon-Water, 12 ounces. 

Mix, and take two table- spoonfuls two or three times a day. In 
obstinate cases, there should be an injection into the vagina of a 
solution of alum and sulphate of zinc, three drachms of the former 
and one drachm of the latter to a pint of water ; three or four ounces 
to be thrown up while the patient lies with the hips rather elevated ; 
this position to be retained for some time, with the parts covered by 
a cloth or sponge, so that the fluid may be kept in. If there is itch- 
ing and irritation of the parts, it may be allayed by an injection 
composed of carbonate of soda, two drachms, in a quart of bran tea. 
If the simple alum and zinc injection proves ineffectual, add a drachm 
of powdered catechu to each pint, or use decoction of oak-bark as a 
vehicle for the above salts. When there is much debility, with sup- 
pressed or scanty menstruation, preparations of iron (as the above 
mixture) with compound steel pills, or some compound of Canada 
balsam, three grains, and a half grain of quinine ; or a half drachm 
of quinine with one drachm dilute sulphuric acid, in six ounces of 
gentian or cascarilla ; a table-spoonful to be taken two or three times 
a day. Should there be profuse menstruation, nothing is so likely 



336 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

to be effectual as the iron and acid mixture, with or without the 
sulphate of magnesia, according to the state of the bowels. Mustard 
poultices to the lower part of the back, or stimulant liniments, rubbed 
well in every night, for a time, will often prove useful. 

Women who are likely to have leucorrhcea should avoid all pre- 
disposing causes of the disease, such as wines and other stimulants, 
and hot tea and other slops taken in large quantities; luxurious 
living! and sensual indulgences of all kinds, especially much sexual 
intercourse, and anything which has a tendency to enervate and 
enfeeble the frame. Early rising and regular open-air exercise, warm 
and comfortable clothing, good food and tonic medicine, with use 
of the shower-bath and bathing, — these will prove the best pre- 
ventives. 

Heebal, oe Eclectic Teeatment foe Womb Diseases. 

For the whites, care must be taken not to arrest the discharge too 
soon, or bad consequences may ensue. Use every means to improve 
the general health. Avoid hot rooms, excessive exertion, and strong 
tea and coffee. A decoction of the roots of comfrey-root, boiled in 
milk, is highly recommended. Take a teacupful three or four times 
a day. Injections of alum-water or decoction of oak-bark, are very 
good. A preparation of one ounce of tincture of aloes and two 
drachms of muriated tincture of iron, well mixed, and forty drops 
taken three times a day in a little water, has been found of great 
advantage. 

For falling of the womb, an infusion of white-oak bark, or an 
infusion of equal parts of peach-leaves, Solomon's seal, and hops, as 
an injection, will produce excellent results. Where heat and diffi- 
culty in making water exists, give a drink of infusion of marsh-mallow 
and spearmint. 

PREGNANCY AND ITS DISORDERS. 

Utero-gestation, or the period of child-bearing, — that is, from the 
time of conception to that of delivery, — extends over a period of 
forty weeks, or two hundred and eighty days. It is commonly set 
down as nine calendar months, but this would make only two hun- 
dred and seventy-five days ; or, if February be included, two hundred 
and seventy-two days; that is, thirty-nine weeks only, instead of 



DISEASES OF WOMEN. 337 

forty, or nine calendar months and a week. In making the neces- 
sary provision for the coming on of labor, it is best to calculate 
from midway between the last occurrence of menstruation and the 
one which would have followed if conception had not taken place, 
and allow nine calendar months from that time. Thus, if menstrua- 
tion had taken place on the first of January, labor might be expected 
some time about the middle of October. 

The Signs of Pregnancy. 

The chief signs of pregnancy are as follows : — 

1. The cessation of the menses, — although this is by no means an 
unfailing sign, for sometimes this discharge will cease from other 
causes, and sometimes it will continue after conception has taken 
place. 

2. Morning sickness, which generally commences about the fourth 
or fifth week, and lasts to about the fourth month. "With some this 
is but slight, and causes but little inconvenience ; but with others 
it is more continuous and serious, sometimes causing the rejection 
of nearly all food for a very considerable period. This symptom, 
again, can not be taken as a proof of pregnancy : it is merely a sus- 
picious circumstance, to be watched in connection with others. 

3. Enlargement of the breasts, which generally increase in size 
about two months after conception. They also become tender and 
sore ; they throb and burn, and, when pressed by the hand, have a 
hard knotty feel, in consequence of the swelling of the glands by 
which the lacteal fluid is secreted. The nipple, also, becomes more 
prominent, and increases in diameter, while the areola around it 
assumes a purplish tinge, and has on it several little raised pimples 
of a yellowish- white color. 

4. Enlargement of the womb and abdomen, which, in the fourth 
month, becomes very perceptible, — the womb, which may now be 
felt in a firm rounded body, having ascended above the bone of the 
pubes, and pushed the bowels up into the abdomen. 

5. A tendency to flatulent distension of the stomach, towards 
evening especially, rendering insupportable a pressure of stays, &c, 
which in the morning could be easily borne. 

6. "Quickening," which is the mother's first perception of the 
second life within her. There is at first, probably, a very slight 
tremulous motion, like a mere pulsation. This day by day grows 



338 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

stronger, until it becomes quite distinct, often painfully so. It is as 
though the child, to use a scripture phrase, "leaped in the womb." 
These movements can be distinctly felt by the hand placed upon the 
abdomen. 

There are other and less obvious signs, which only the professional 
man would be likely to detect. All may notice, however, the change 
which generally takes place in the countenance. The mouth and 
eyes seem to enlarge, and the nose becomes what is generally termed 
more or less "pinched up." There is an alteration, too, in the color 
of the eyes, which become somewhat paler, — especially is this per- 
ceptible if they are blue eyes. Then the patient is generally fidgetty, 
peevish, and restless, exhibiting a high degree of nervous irritation ; 
she has odd fancies, and longings after out-of-the-way things and 
articles of diet, which should be procured for her if possible. At 
such a time she requires soothing and humoring : harsh and unkind 
treatment will be likely to have a most injurious effect, both upon 
her and her offspring. 

Management and Conduct of Mothers during Pregnancy. 

A pregnant woman should be made aware that the advantages 
obtained by well-regulated habits are by no means exclusively con- 
ferred on her, but that others equally important are likewise con- 
ferred on the child, for whom a larger supply of nutrition, and of a 
better quality, will thus be provided; and so, being nourished by 
sound and healthy fluids, will commence its career of life strong, 
vigorous, and less liable to those morbid debilities and derangements 
which affect the children of the indolent, the pampered, or the 
debauched. 

From the moment, therefore, that conception has taken place, a 
new and most sacred duty devolves upon the female. She is bound 
by all the ties of maternal sentiment, of humanity, and of moral 
and religious obligations, to protect the nascent being in her womb 
against every circumstance, under her control, which might have an 
unfavorable influence on its delicate organization. 

The state of pregnancy is one peculiarly liable to disease and 
injury; and we daily witness much suffering and danger incurred 
both to the mother and the child, from the influence of causes which, 
with proper care, might have been avoided altogether, or, at least, 
rendered inoffensive. 



DISEASES OF WOMEN. 339 

Diet during Pregnancy. 

The peculiar tendency to febrile irritation and general plethora, 
in pregnancy, renders it especially proper to avoid undue excitement 
and nourishment during this period. Not that the pregnant female 
is to be dieted like a valetudinarian ; but that moderation and sim- 
plicity of food is especially proper in her case. As the appetite is 
frequently very craving during this period, an inordinate indulgence 
in rich and high-seasoned food is among the most common errors ; 
and this mistake is the more readily fallen into from the erroneous 
idea which many entertain, that, as the foetus draws its nourishment 
from the maternal system, a greater quantity of aliment is required 
in pregnancy. The exercise of caution in the selection of proper 
food, appears to be particularly important towards the termination 
of gestation. When the stomach is in a weak and irritable state, 
rice, barley, arrow-root, oatmeal, the lean part of mutton, tender 
beef, soft-boiled eggs, and stewed apples constitute appropriate 
articles of nourishment. But it is always to be lecollected, that the 
temperate use of food is of more consequence than any very cautious 
selection as to its kind. Coffee and tea may be moderately used ; 
but all vinous or alcoholic drinks should be studiously avoided. 
The temptation to indulging in small portions of cordial, or brandy, 
in the early months of gestation, is often very strong ; but it ought 
to be firmly checked, or the deplorable habit of solitary dram- 
drinking may be the result of indulgence in these potent stimuli. 

The appetitive sensibilities of the stomach, in some instances, 
undergo extraordinary derangement, especially in weak and delicate 
females. Articles of food which, previous to pregnancy, were very 
grateful and congenial, become highly disagreeable, and an almost 
irresistible craving for singular and even disgusting substances, is 
experienced. This remarkable irregularity of the appetite is usually 
called a longing. If the substances longed for be not evidently of 
an injurious character, they should not be withheld; in some in- 
stances, these longings may be regarded as instinctive calls of the 
stomach for articles favorable to the health of the individual. Thus, 
when a strong desire for eating chalk, charcoal, or clay, is manifested, 
we are admonished that the digestive powers are feeble and that 
there is a tendency to acidity in the stomach. In such cases the 
means of relief are alkalines, mild laxatives, and tonic vegetable 
bitters, with a suitable regimen. 



340 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

Dress and Exercise. 
The custom of wearing tightly-laced corsets during gestation can 
not be too severely censured. It gives rise to functional disorder 
of the stomach and liver, as well as to uterine haemorrhage and 
abortion in the mother ; it likewise impedes the regular nourishment 
of the foetus in the womb. The clothing should always be sufficient 
to protect the body against the injurious influence of cold and at- 
mospheric vicissitudes : the abdomen and feet especially should be 
guarded against injury from these causes. In winter, or cold and 
damp seasons, the use of a flannel bandage or roller around the 
abdomen will be found very beneficial and comfortable. All kinds 
of agitating exercise, such as riding in carriages with rapidity over 
rough roads, dancing, lifting or carrying heavy loads, — in short, all 
masculine and fatiguing employments whatever, ought to be avoided 
by pregnant women ; and the more so as gestation approaches the 
term of its regular completion. During the eighth and ninth months 
of pregnancy unusual exertion or fatigue is particularly apt to excite 
premature labor. It is to be observed, however, that if injury is apt 
to result from too much exercise, injurious consequences may also 
arise from too much indolence and inactivity. Riding in an easy 
carriage on even roads, or moderate walking, may be enjoyed with 
great propriety, and usually with obvious advantage during gesta- 
tion Sexual intercourse should be avoided after conception: it is 
useless to reproduction, and is interdicted by moralists and physi- 
cians, as prejudicial to the parents and their offspring. 

Moral Influences. 

Tranquillity and cheerfulness of mind are of prime importance 
during pregnancy. Convulsions, severe hysteria, spasms, syncope, 
haemorrhage, and abortion, may be produced by violent anger, terror, 
or jealousy, during pregnancy. Intense grief will occasion debility, 
indigestion, jaundice, and various other functional disorders. A 
strong excitement of the imagination is supposed by some to be 
capable of producing impressions on the foetus in the womb. 

The Breasts. 

The breasts and nipples should be particularly attended to during 
the latter months of gestation, in order to prepare them for suckling 
the infant. For some weeks before the expected termination of 
gestation, the nipples should be daily washed with lukewarm water, 



DISEASES OF WOMEN. 341 

then dried by exposing them to the free air, and afterwards gently- 
rubbed for five or six minutes with a soft piece of flannel, or with 
the extremities of the fingers. "When the skin of the nipples is 
very delicate and sensitive, they may be washed with brandy and 
water, or a wash composed of two drachms of the tincture of myrrh, 
one drachm of laudanum, and two ounces of water. In using this, 
the nipples should first be bathed with lukewarm water, and dried 
and rubbed as before directed, and then washed with the lotion. 
Compression of the breasts by corsets, or any other artificial means, 
is carefully to be avoided. When the nipples are very small, or sunk 
in the breasts, they should be drawn out by means of a suction-pump 
with a common clay tobacco-pipe. This process should be repeated 
several times daily, until they have acquired a sufficient degree of 
prominency. 

DISEASES OF PREGNANCY. 
Morning Sickness. 

This complaint is sometimes very troublesome and obstinate. 

Treatment. — The patient should have breakfast in bed, and remain 
in a recumbent position for some time after. Small lumps of ice 
put into the mouth and allowed to dissolve, will sometimes give 
relief. Give, if the sickness is troublesome, three times a day, a 
mixture composed of one scruple of bicarbonate of potash or soda, 
dissolved in a wineglass of water. Take, while effervescing, with a 
table-spoonful of lemon-juice. 

Constipation. 

During the latter months of pregnancy, constipation is nearly 
always present, the pressure upon the lower bowel being the cause. 
Neither aloes nor any violent cathartic should be taken. A moderate 
dose of castor-oil may be administered about every other day, or as 
often as necessary ; but if the stomach nauseates at repeated doses 
of this, try the following mixture : — 

Sulphate of Magnesia, 1 ounce. 

Infusion of Roses, 6 ounces. 

Cinnamon-Water, 2 ounces. 

Dose, a wineglassful every morning early. If, as is sometimes the 
case, diarrhoea supervenes, give the following: — 

Chalk Mixture, 6 ounces. 

Aromatic Confection, 2 drachms. 

Tincture of Opium, ^drachm. 

Dose, a table-spoonful every three or four hours. 



342 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

Heartburn. 

This may be removed by moving the bowels with a little magnesia, 
and taking a wineglassful of lime-water in milk two or three times 
a day ; or carbonate of potash and magnesia, of each ten grains, in 
cinnamon-water, with one drachm of tincture of gentian. 

Incontinence of Urine. 

The frequent desire to make water, arising from irritation of the 
bladder, should be attended to, as long retention of urine may 
cause retroversion of the womb and abortion. An abdominal belt 
will be found of great service in the renal affections of pregnancy. 
Effervescing draughts, with ten grains of nitrate of potash and the 
same of magnesia, will also be found serviceable; and if there is 
much pain, add five grains of laudanum, and apply hot fomentations 
or use the hip-bath. 

Cough. 

If there is cough, which frequently attends pregnancy, give any 
soothing pectoral mixture. If the cough is attended with pains in 
the chest, or headache, apply in the former case mustard-poultices 
over the sternum. 

Varicose Veins. 

For cramps and pains in the legs, with swelling and varicose veins, 
sponge the legs with cold vinegar and water, and put on roller ban- 
dages or elastic stockings, and rest in a recumbent position. 

Itching of the Private Parts. 

Itching about the vagina, with gleety discharges, call for the use 
of the hip-bath, and a slightly astringent injection, such as goulard 
water, a weak solution of alum, or an infusion of green tea. 

Restlessness at Nights. 

For dreams and restless nights, extract of hemlock, or henbane, 
five grains at bedtime, with strict attention to the condition of the 
bowels. 

Melancholy, Despondency, &c. 

Despondency frequently seizes upon those who are about to be- 
come mothers; but generally, if the health be pretty good, it is 
shaken off as the great trial approaches. There are some women 



DISEASES OF WOMEN. 343 

who are never so well and cheerful as during the time of pregnancy, 
but many there are to whom it is indeed a period of trial and suffer- 
ing ; and especially is this the case with those who are about to 
become mothers for the first time. 

False Pregnancy. 

It is necessary to the completeness of our subject that we say a 
few words here about false or spurious pregnancy. A condition of 
the female system of a remarkable kind, most frequently observed 
about the turn of life, when the catamenia becoming irregular, pre- 
vious to their final cessation, are suppressed for a few periods ; and, 
at the same time, the stomach being out of order, nausea or vomiting 
is experienced, the breasts enlarge, become sensitive or even slightly 
painful, and sometimes a serous or acrolactescent fluid exudes from 
the nipples and orifices of the areolar tubercles ; the abdomen grows 
fuller and more prominent, especially in women of full habit and 
constitutionally disposed to embonpoint, and the abdominal enlarge- 
ment progressively increases, partly from deposition of fat in the 
integuments and in the omentum, but still more from distension of 
the intestines by flatus, which, passing from one part to another, 
communicates a sensation like that produced by the motion of a 
foetus; the nervous system is generally much disturbed, and the 
woman feels convinced that she is pregnant, an idea which, at the 
time of life alluded to, is cherished by the sex with an extraordinary 
devotion, and relinquished with proportionate reluctance ; and not 
unfrequently at the end of the supposed gestation, the delusion is 
rendered complete, and almost assumes the character of a reality, by 
the occurrence of periodical pains strongly resembling labor. 

THE BREAST AND ITS DISEASES. 

We use this term in its restricted sense, as applied to the fleshy 
protuberance common to women, in which is situated the mammary 
glands, for the secretion of the milk by which the infant is nourished. 
Its full development depends greatly upon habit and constitution, 
being in some much more early in advancing womanhood, of which it 
is one of the most remarkable signs, and prominent in full maturity, 
than in others. In the earlier stages of pregnancy, its fullest develop- 
ment commences : the breast swells, and the nipple enlarges, and by, 
or near, the time of delivery it is filled with lacteal fluid, which passes 
readily, on suction, into the mouth of the child. Too frequently the 



344 



OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 




proper enlargement of the breast, and increase of the nipple, is 
retarded by tight lacing. The consequences, sometimes, are hard- 
j? IG ^ 2± ened and congested states of the tissues, 

an insufficient supply of milk, or a failure 
of it altogether; or a nipple so flattened 
and pressed into the breast that it can 
not be taken hold of by the mouth of the 
infant. Abscess, cancer, and other evil 
consequences may also ensue from undue 
presure upon such tender parts. 

Inflammation of the Breast. 



This affection is common, and frequently 
results in abscess. Various causes may 
produce it, such as a blow, exposure to cold 
or wet, great mental excitement, unnatural 
distention by an accumulation of milk, or 
too much pressure by corsets. It may 
occur at any period between early and ad- 
vanced womanhood, but most commonly 
it does occur within a week or two of 
childbirth, and is the result of some ob 
struction in the now of the milk, or change 
in its normal character. Such a change will be 
sure to occur if the milk is suffered to remain 
long in the breast ; therefore, should the infant 
be unable relieve it at all, or insufficiently, arti- 
ficial means must be taken to do so. 

A simple and cheap form of breast-pump 
is made with a stout elastic bag with a glass 
mouthpiece, a wide-mouthed bottle sufficiently 
capacious to hold two quarts. This is dipped 
in hot water, and the mouth immediately ap- 
plied to the breast ; the heat will have rarefied 
the air within, which, as it cools, contracts and 
leaves a vacuum, causing suction, which draws 
the milk into the bottle. Some nurses have 
the art of drawing the breast with the mouth ; 
and it is well to let them do so, as no instru- 
ment can effect the object so thoroughly. 



Section of Mammary Gland 

1, 1, Galactophorous Ducts ; 
2, 2, Lobuli. 

Fig. 95. 




Origin of the Milk Ducts. 
Fig. 96. 




Ultimate Follicles of the 
Mammary Glands. 

a, a, the Secreting Cells; 
b, b, the Nuclei. 



DISEASES OF WOMEN. 345 

Abscess in the Breast. 

When there is an inflamed state of the tissues of the breast, there 
are shooting pains, and often febrile symptoms. The part will be- 
come hard and exhibit knotty protuberances, indicating the forma- 
tion of an abscess. These symptoms will.be succeeded by throbbing 
and a sensation of weight, — the skin gradually assuming a thin and 
red appearance, and becoming thinner until it finally breaks, and 
allows the escape of the matter. 

Treatment. — When the premonitory symptoms of mammary ab- 
scess are observed, recourse should at once be had to remedial 
measures. Let the breast be well yet gently rubbed with a soft 
hand, into the palm of which is poured fresh olive or almond oil; 
the friction should be continued for about ten minutes, and repeated 
every four hours or so. Goose-grease and other fatty substances are 
recommended, but simple oil is best, the friction being the principal 
agent for good. Between the intervals of this the breast should be 
kept covered with a tepid-water dressing, — having over it oiled silk 
to prevent evaporation. Care must be taken during this treatment 
to keep the bowels gently open, and to keep under the febrile symp- 
toms. A mammary abscess will frequently continue discharging for 
a considerable period, and, during this time, the patient should be 
supported by a nourishing, although light diet. 

A warm bread-poultice is best for the abscess ; it should be changed 
about every four hours, and covered with oiled silk. When the dis- 
charge has nearly ceased, simple tepid- water dressings may be sub- 
stituted. The breast, during all this time, should be supported by a 
soft handkerchief tied round the neck. An application of collodion 
all over the part has sometimes been used; it forms a thin coat 
which, contracting as it dries, affords the necessary support, if the 
breast is not very large and heavy. If some amount of pressure is 
required, strips of strapping crossing each other will effect this object. 
After all danger of inflammation is over, a more generous diet may be 
allowed. Should the breast remain hard, friction with soap liniment 
should be resorted to. A drachm of compound tincture of iodine to 
each ounce will render it more effectual. 

Sore Nipples. 

Very painful and distressing cases of sore nipples frequently occur 
after childbirth. Sometimes they cannot be avoided, but frequently 
they arise from too great an anxiety on the part of the mother, who 



346 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

is constantly meddling with them, applying the month of the child, 
and resorting to all sorts of expedients to draw them ont. Nipple- 
shields, with India-rnbber teats, may be readily procured, and should 
be used when the nipples are too sore and tender to bear the applica- 
tion of the infant's mouth. In this case the milk must be drawn 
from the breast by one of the contrivances above mentioned, and 
given to the child in a feeding-bottle. 

Glycerine has been found a good application for chapped or other- 
wise sore nipples. It must be applied with a camel-hair brush, first 
wiping the part dry with a soft piece of linen. If obtained pure, there 
will be little or no smell in it to annoy either mother or child. Collo- 
dion is also useful, but it causes considerable smarting. If, as is 
sometimes the case, there be suppuration, warm bread-poultices must 
be applied, and after them tepid-water dressing. Infants, a few days 
after birth, sometimes have the breasts distended with a thick milky 
looking fluid ; and youths just arriving at the age of puberty have 
hard and painful swellings about the nipples. In both cases warm 
fomentations only are required; the parts should not be pressed or 
rubbed ; for the child, a little cold cream or simple ointment, after 
fomenting, is desirable. 

Milk Fever. 

An aggravated form of the excitement which takes place at the 
onset of lactation. 

Causes. — The cause may be a cold, or over-heating the apart- 
ment, too stimulating a diet, or any obstruction to the flow of milk 
from the breast. 

Symptoms. — Its first symptoms are increased heat of the system, 
preceded by shivering, and sometimes accompanied with vertigo 
and slight delirium. These are followed by severe headache, thirst, 
dry tongue, quick pulse, throbing of the temples, and intolerance 
of light. 

Treatment. — Spare diet, perfect tranquillity, subdued light, cool- 
ing drinks, and saline aperient medicines ; the head should be kept 
somewhat elevated, and bathed with cold water or evaporating lo- 
tions. If the symptoms should become worse in spite of this, apply 
half-a-dozen or more leeches to the head, and put the feet in a warm 
mustard bath. Most lying-in women have more or less of this fever, 
which is no doubt an effort of nature to rouse the hitherto dormant 



DISEASES OF WOMEN. 347 

mammary organs to secrete a proper quantity of milk. If, however, 
it is not checked, the arterial action runs too high, and no milk at 
all is secreted. 

CONFINEMENT {Parturition). 

Every prudent woman, who has the power of doing so, will make 
all necessary preparations for an approaching accouchement, as the 
French term childbirth, or delivery. 

Few women, who are near their confinement, are sufficiently cau- 
tious of exposing themselves to unnecessary fatigue and atmospheric 
changes. They will "keep about until the last," and it is well for 
them to do so, provided they take only gentle exercise, and avoid 
getting wet or chilled, or heated in crowded assemblies, and the like. 
Miscarriages, difficult labors, and frequently lasting injury to mother 
and child, if not the death of one or both, is not unfrequently the 
result of imprudence at this critical period. Therefore would we 
impress upon all our readers who are likely to become mothers, the 
duty which they owe to themselves, their friends, and their future 
offspring, of refraining, when enciente, as much as possible from the 
more exciting pleasures and laborious occupations of life, and of 
preparing for the pains and cares which will shortly come upon 
them. 

Let all the preparations for the little stranger be made in good 
time, and the services of an experienced nurse engaged. Let the 
mother, or some female very near and dear, be at hand to aid and 
counsel, and, above all, to cheer and encourage the often sinking 
heart, not only at the actual period of the labor, but for some time 
previously. And let the mother in expectancy be treated with all 
possible love and gentleness. She may be fidgetty and whimsical, — 
what of that ! — provided they do not run into outrageous extremes, 
let her very whims be indulged. She is frequently in a state of 
great nervous excitement, — her body may be racked with pain, and 
her mind unhinged. Let her be soothed and tenderly dealt with. 
She has that to go through, at which the strongest man might well 
tremble, and shrink aghast. . 

We will suppose that the inevitable hour has come, and that the 
labor-pains are regular, and that the work of delivery proceeds 
properly, although perhaps slowly. In due time — it may be in two 
hours, or four, or six, or even, in the case of a first child, twenty-four 



348 OUK FAMILY DOCTOE. 

hours — the infant is born, and treated according to the directions 
given in the management of infants. But we are getting on too 
fast, and must go back to explain what has been, or should have 
been, done to bring about the desired consummation of a safe 
delivery; and what is of yet more consequence, the safety of the 
mother and child, and the gradual recovery of the former from the 
shock which, under the most favorable circumstances, her system 
will receive. If she be a strong healthy woman, and no unusual 
complications arise to disturb the natural process, but little aid or 
interference may be required. There will be the usual warning 
symptoms: intermitting pains in the back, slight at first, but in- 
creasing in intensity. There will probably be a slight discharge of 
mucus, stained with blood, and perhaps also a considerable dis- 
charge of a clear fluid, popularly called "the waters." This is an 
albuminous liquid filling up the membrane in which the foetus floats, 
and so preventing pressure. It sometimes does not escape until labor 
has actually commenced by the falling down of the child 'into the 
pelvis. When this takes place, the recumbent position should be 
assumed. Previous to this, it is best for the patient to sit upright 
or walk gently about, and so assist the action of the uterus. 

When the labor-pains become very great, the patient should be 
placed on the bed, previously guarded by some waterproof material 
on her left side, and not far from the edge, so that needful assist- 
ance can be easily rendered. She should have a tightly-rolled pillow 
placed between her knees. If there is no unnatural obstruction to 
the delivery, it is best left to nature. Should the patient in the 
struggle become very faint and weak, a little brandy and water may 
be administered at short intervals, but this must be stopped as soon 
as the labor is over, or inflammatory action may ensue. 

As soon as the child is born, and the umbilical cord, — or, as it is 
commonly called, the navel-string, — by which it is attached to the 
womb, has been tied and cut, a broad bandage or towel should be 
passed round the body of the mother, so as to cover the hips, drawn 
tightly, and pinned or tied, so as to sustain a pressure upon the 
womb, and stimulate the vessels to return to their normal condition. 
Before this is done, however, it will be best to pull that part of the 
above-named cord which remains attached to the uterus very gently, 
and by this means to accomplish if possible the removal of the 
placenta, commonly called the after-birth, which sometimes comes 
away with the child, or immediately after, and is sometimes only 



DISEASES OF WOMEN. 349 

removed with great difficulty. If, at the expiration of a couple of 
hours or so, this still remains in the womb, where it will cause irri- 
tation, the hand of the nurse or medical man, previously well oiled, 
must be carefully passed in, so as to grasp, and, without breaking it, 
to detach it gently from its adhesion, and bring it away, waiting to 
complete the process until an after-pain comes on. Generally the 
natural expulsion, or the artificial removal, of the placenta is attended 
with haemorrhage, sometimes to a frightful extent. For directions 
how to proceed in this case, see article on Flooding. 

For at least six hours after labor, the patient should be disturbed 
as little as may be. We have seen fussy nurses very desirous of 
making "missus" comfortable, and begin to put things to rights 
about her, when she, poor soul ! only wants perfect rest and quiet. 
Let her have it. And if the pulse is thin and feeble, and the cheeks 
are colorless, and the breathing scarcely noticeable, so that life seems 
almost ebbing away, put a little, a very little, brandy and water, warm 
and sweet, between her lips now and then ; but stop instantly if it 
produces flushing or restlessness; and do not give it at all unless 
there seems urgent necessity for a stimulant. At the expiration of 
the above time, if a revival has taken place, soiled bed-clothes and 
body-linen may be changed ; but all this should be done very care- 
fully and gently, or the fatigue may occasion a relapse. If the 
after-pains continue severe at the expiration of the above time, an 
anodyne draught may be given. It may be composed of from twenty 
to thirty grains of tincture of opium, or a quarter of a grain of mor- 
phine, in an ounce of plain or spearmint water. 

For eight or more days after labor, the recumbent position should 
be strictly maintained; and the same rule holds good after a mis- 
carriage. Some women feel so well and strong in a day or two, that 
they will sit up, and sometimes even get out of bed, and make them- 
selves useful in the house. We have seen a woman at the wash-tub 
three days after she had been confined; and we have heard of 
females undergoing the pains of labor under a hedge by the road- 
side, and in a few hours proceeding on their journey with their 
babes at their breasts. But these women were semi or entire bar- 
barians ; they had not been delicately nurtured. With the immense 
advantages, we must also take some of the disadvantages of civili- 
zation, and those who give birth to children surrounded by all its 
comforts and luxuries, must not attempt to emulate the Indian 
squaw. If they do, they will inevitably suffer for their temerity. 



350 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

Getting about too early after childbirth is, perhaps, the most fruitful 
of all sources of uterine disease. The consequences may or may not 
show themselves at once, but whether or no, bad consequences 
there most likely will be; therefore we warn all mothers to keep 
their beds long enough; but little exertion should be made until 
the end of the first fortnight. If there is a necessity for getting 
about earlier, of course it must be done, for necessity has no law ; 
but unless there is, the risk should not be run. Delicate women 
especially do wrong to attempt it, and the strong will be likely to 
render themselves weak by the practice. 

ABORTION, OR MISCARRIAGE. 

The premature expulsion of the foetus from the womb, — that is, 
before the seventh month. After that period, if delivery occurs 
before the ninth month, it is called premature labor. 

Causes. — A sudden shock to the system by a fall or a fright; 
straining, or over-reaching; the administration of strong purgatives 
or emetics ; excessive indulgence in venery, or aught which may tend 
to debilitate the system; malformation of the generative organs; 
fevers and severe inflammations ; syphilis or constitutional disease 
of any kind ; the growth of polypi or tumors in the cavity of the 
uterus, or adhesion to the surrounding viscera; too great contracti- 
bility of the uterine fibres and blood-vessels. Most frequently, 
perhaps, it is a diseased condition of the foetus itself, which, wanting 
the elements of growth and vitality, is rejected as a useless and 
troublesome incumbrance. Two classes of females, very different 
in constitution and appearance, are more than commonly liable to 
abortion, namely, those of a voluptuous and plethoric habit, and 
those of a weak and irritable frame. Those who continue to suckle 
after conception has again taken place render themselves liable to 
it, because a certain amount of nutriment required by the foetus 
goes to the formation of the lacteal fluid. 

Miscarriage is generally attended with much pain. It weakens 
the system, and often severely tries the constitution of the sufferer, 
whose liability to the accident increases with each occurrence. The 
periods at which it is most likely to take place are said to be about 
a month after conception, again in twelve weeks, and again in the 
seventh month, — the liability increasing in those stages which cor- 
respond with the periods of menstruation. Some women invariably 



DISEASES OF WOMEN. 351 

miscarry at a certain stage ; and thus, although often in the way to 
become mothers, are never blessed with offspring. 

By this it will be sufficiently plain that pregnant women ought to 
avoid all violent exercises of the body, strong mental excitement, 
over-indulgence of sensual appetites, exposure to wet, or any extremes 
of weather, or aught which may tend to constitutional derangement 
of whatever kind; and those who have once aborted should be 
doubly careful on account of their greater liability. 

Symptoms. — These vary considerably, according to the more or 
less advanced stage of pregnancy, and state and condition of the 
patient ; but usually she feels at first slight pains in the loins, and 
parts about the womb. There is a sense of bearing down, a frequent 
desire to make water, or to evacuate the bowels, and a feverish state 
of the system generally. A discharge of blood commonly follows, 
sometimes in clots, at others in gushes, at longer or shorter intervals ; 
and this will continue until the foetus is expelled. As the patient 
can not be considered out of danger until relieved of the ovum, the 
discharge ought to be carefully watched, and preserved for the 
examination of the medical man, should he not be present during 
its progress, which is much to be preferred. 

Treatment. — The first object, when the premonitory symptoms 
above mentioned set in, is, if possible, to prevent abortion. To this 
end the patient should at once assume a recumbent position, and 
on no account be suffered to move more than may be absolutely 
necessary. For a few days, use only cold drinks, and at bedtime 
take a pill composed of one grain of opium and two grains of sugar 
of lead. 

If there is much heat in the abdomen, cloths wet with vinegar 
and water, in equal proportions, should be applied thereto, and re- 
moved as often as they get warm. "When the haemorrhage becomes 
at all profuse, all hopes of prevention are at an end, and the efforts 
should be directed to relieve pain, prevent utter exhaustion of 
strength, and finally to remove, as quickly as may be, the ovum from 
the womb. To effect the latter object, mechanical means are some- 
times resorted to, but only one thoroughly acquainted with the 
anatomy of the parts should attempt this. As the flooding proceeds, 
the patient should be kept as cool as possible ; she should be ex 
posed to, and suffered to breathe, cold air ; acidulated drinks should 
be administered ; if ice can be obtained, let it be used to lower their 
temperature. Should fainting ensue from loss of blood, cordials 



352 OUR FAMILY DOCTOK. 

may be given, but not hastily, or frequently ; a teaspoonful of brandy, 
or fifteen drops of aromatic spirits of ammonia, in hali a wineglassful 
of cold water, is the best stimulant for the purpose. When the dis- 
charge is very profuse, lint, wadding, or a piece of sponge, dipped 
in a solution of alum, and then in olive-oil, may be introduced into 
the vagina, or an injection of the same gently thrown up by means 
of a syringe ; or a decoction of oak-bark may be used for the same 
purpose. 

Should these means fail to check the haemorrhage, make up 
eighteen grains of sugar of lead into twelve pills, with crumb of 
bread, and give one every two hours, with a draught of vinegar and 
water, or dilute sulphuric acid, fifteen drops in half a wineglass of 
water being a sufficient dose. Opiates may be given with advantage 
when the pain is very severe, especially before the flooding comes 
on, or after it has continued too long. Suppositories, consisting 
of about a grain of powdered opium, made up into a softish mass, 
with a few grains of powdered gum, or extract of henbane, are also 
useful. These latter may be introduced when miscarriage is likely 
to ensue. With rest and proper care they will sometimes pre- 
vent it. 

The best preventives of miscarriage are the frequent use of the 
cold hip-bath, and sponging the lower part of the belly with cold 
vinegar and water ; strict attention to diet, and avoiding all violent 
purging medicines ; moderate gentle exercise, and entire abstinence 
from sexual intercourse during the first months of pregnancy. 

We can say nothing here about abortions voluntarily produced, 
except to warn women of the folly and danger of resorting to 
unprincipled empirics, or the use of powerful drugs, to hide the 
consequences of an unlawful gratification of their passions. • Death 
has frequently resulted from the employment of such means as are 
necessary to produce abortion, and far better is it to bear the shame 
and disgrace of being the mother of illegitimate offspring than to 
incur the risk and sin of being possibly the destroyer of self, as 
well as of the embryo of a human being, over which the parental 
instinct alone ought to stimulate to tender care and watchfulness. 

ANiEMIA. 

This is a condition of the constitution in which there is a deficiency 
of the red globules, or coloring matter, in the blood. It is marked 



DISEASES OF WOMEN. 353 

by extreme pallor in those parts, snch as the lips, which are generally 
suffused; and is not uncommon in young females of a weak or 
scrofulous habit. It appears to arise from a deficiency of vital 
energy in the system, either constitutional or brought on by want 
of nourishment, breathing impure air, or great loss of blood. In 
any case a cure may be effected by good generous diet, pure air, 
moderate exercise, and strengthening medicines. 

Treatment. — Any of the various preparations of iron may be 
taken in combination, if the appetite be bad, with some bitter tonic, 
such as infusion of gentian, with a little quinine. Should there be 
much emaciation, cod-liver oil, taken in orange wine, will be of ser- 
vice. The pores of the skin should be kept open by tepid sponging, 
and the bowels moderately so by a rhubarb or colocynth pill now 
and then. Strong purgatives should be avoided, and especially 
salines. In young females the absence of the monthly discharge 
need cause no uneasiness ; with returning strength that will most 
likely return. Should it not do so, however, when this treatment 
has been persisted in for a time, and should the pallor, languor, 
sleeplessness, headache, confined bowels, swelling of the feet, &c, 
which generally distinguish anaemia, continue, a medical man ought 
to be consulted, as it is likely there may be consumption, or other 
organic disease, at the root of the mischief. 



BARRENNESS. 

Barrenness is the defect of power in the female to produce 
offspring. 

Causes. — It is caused sometimes by want of tone or strength in 
the system; nervous debility; sometimes the result of malformation 
of structure in some part of the generative organs ; and sometimes 
by functional disorders from local or constitutional causes. 

Symptoms. — "Want of issue; and, in married women, frequently 
continued ill health. 

Treatment. — Cold bathing, or dashing cold water on the loins 
daily ; general tonics, or strengtheners to the system ; electricity or 
galvanism applied locally. A milk and vegetable diet is recom- 
mended, and abstinence from sexual indulgence for a time. Take 
plenty of exercise early in the morning in the open air, and take the 
following : — 



354 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

Compound Aloetic Pill, 2 scruples. 

Compound Rhubarb Pill, 2 scruples. 

Sulphate of Iron, 2 scruples. 

Extract of Henbane, 2 scruples. 

Mix, and divide into thirty-two pills. Take one every night, and 
the following in the daytime : — 

Compound Tincture of Valerian, jounce. 

Compound Tincture of Lavender, 1 ounce. 

Aromatic Spirits of Ammonia, jounce. 

Mix, and take a teaspoonful twice a day in two table-spoonfuls of 
infusion of cascarilla. 

GREEN SICKNESS. 

This disease has obtained its name from the pale and greenish 
cast of the skin of the patient. It is one of the forms of anaemia, 
and chiefly affects young girls, although adult and even married 
women, and young delicate males are subject to it. 

Causes. — The disease appears to arise from a defect in the 
blood of red particles, and other solid constituents, and this is 
caused by defective assimilation. Those young persons of seden- 
tary habits, or who work in crowded factories or shops, or who live 
in underground kitchens, and like places, are particularly subject 
to it. 

Symptoms. — In addition to the pallor of the skin, which is common 
to all the forms of anaemia, this has some peculiar symptoms, such 
as hysterical paroxysms, and extreme nervousness, pain in the side, 
swelling of the ankles, headache recurring at certain periods ; there 
is also frequently depraved appetite and a disinclination for whole- 
some food altogether. If the case is long neglected, the symptoms 
become greatly exaggerated, the secretions are unhealthy in charac- 
ter, and deficient in quantity; the limbs swell, the pains in the head 
and face are more severe, and so weak is the patient that every 
exertion, even the slightest, is laborious; the depraved appetite 
becomes more remarkable — cinders, chalk, slate-pencil, and articles 
equally unfit for eating, are eagerly sought for, and masticated with 
avidity. 

Treatment. — Change of air, tonics, and the course of treatment 
prescribed under the head of Anaemia, is the best in such cases. 



DISEASES OF WOMEN. 355 

Exercise, fresh air, and nourishing diet, are the grand restoratives. 
Iron is the best tonic, alone or in combination with quinine. It 
should be given in the least nauseous form, and at least one hour 
before meals. 

HYSTERICS {Hysteria). 

A nervous affection, chiefly seen in females, and generally con- 
nected with uterine irregularities. The age at which there is the 
greatest proneness to hysteria, is from that of puberty to the fiftieth 
year, that is, from the accession to the cessation of the menstrual 
life, — at the beginning and end of which it is more frequent and 
marked than at any other period. Single women, and the married 
who do not bear children, are most subject to it, although it some- 
times occurs at the early period of pregnancy and immediately after 
childbirth. Persons of studious and sedentary habits, and of scrofu- 
lous and weakly constitutions, are especially likely to be the subjects 
of hysteria, as are indolent and plethoric persons, and those debili- 
tated by disease or excesses of any kind. It may be excited by ex- 
cessive evacuations, suppression of the natural secretions, strong 
mental emotions, or sympathy with others so affected. It is a curious 
circumstance connected with this affection that it simulates almost 
every disease to which humanity is liable. 

Symptoms. — An attack generally comes on with a sensation of 
choking. It seems as if a ball were rising in the throat, and threat- 
ening to stop the passage of the air ; then the trunk and limbs be- 
come convulsed, so much so that an apparently feeble woman will 
require three or four strong persons to restrain her from injuring 
herself; then follows the hysterical sobbing and crying, with alter- 
nate fits of laughter. Generally the head is thrown back, the face 
is flushed, the eyelids closed and tremulous ; the nostrils distended, 
and the mouth firmly shut. There is a strong movement in the 
throat which is projected forward, and a wild throwing about of the 
arms and hands, with sometimes a tearing of the hair, rending of 
the clothes, catching at the throat, and attempts to bite those who 
impose a necessary restraint. 

A fit of hysteria may last for a few minutes only, or for several 
hours, or even days ; persons have died under such an affliction. It 
may generally be distinguished from epilepsy by the absence of 
foaming at the mouth, which is nearly always present in that disease, 



356 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

and also by the peculiar twinkling of the eyelids, which is a distin- 
guishing symptom of great value, and a sign of safety. In epilepsy, 
too, there is complete insensibility, not so in hysteria; the patient 
retains partial consciousness ; hence it behoves those about her to 
be cautious what they say. If any remedies are suggested of which 
she is likely to have a dread, her recovery may be greatly retarded 
thereby. In epilepsy there is laborious or suspended respiration, a 
dark livid complexion, a protruding and bleeding tongue ; rolling or 
staring and projected eyeballs, and a frightful expression of the 
countenance. Not so in hysteria ; the cheeks are usually red, and 
the eyes, if not hidden by the closed eyelids, are bright and at 
rest ; the sobbing, sighing, short cries, and laughter, too, are charac- 
teristic of the latter affection. We point out these distinctions that 
no unnecessary alarm may be felt during a fit of hysteria, which is 
seldom attended with ultimate danger either to mind or body, 
although the symptoms are sufficiently distressing to cause some 
anxiety. 

Treatment. — First, prevent the patient, if violent, from injuring 
herself. Confine her hands, by wrapping tightly round her a sheet 
or blanket. The dress should be loosened, especially round the 
throat ; and the face freely exposed to fresh air, and both that and 
the head well washed with cold water. If she can and will swallow, 
an ounce of camphor-mixture, with a teaspoonful of ether, sal vola- 
tile, tincture of assafcetida, or valerian, may be administered. Strong 
liquid ammonia may be applied to the nostrils ; and if" the fit is of 
long duration, an enema injected, consisting of spirits of turpentine, 
castor-oil, and tincture of assafcetida, of each half an ounce, in half 
pint of gruel. What is required is a strong stimulus to the nervous 
system ; therefore, dashing cold water on the face, and hot applica- 
tions to the spine, are likely to be of service. Carlisle recommends 
that a polished piece of steel, held in boiling water for a minute or 
two, be passed down the back over a silk handkerchief. This has 
been found to prevent the recurrence of the paroxysm, which has 
before been periodic, — by which it would seem that the patient has 
some power of controlling the symptoms, when a sufficiently strong 
stimulus is applied, to enable or induce her to exercise it. 

The patient's mind, during the intermissions of the attack, should 
be kept as tranquil as possible, and a tendency to all irregular habits 
or excesses held in check. If plethoric, there should be spare diet ; 
if scrofulous and weakly, good nourishing food and tonic medicines, 



DISEASES OF WOMEN. 357 

particularly some form of iron, the shower-bath, regular exercise, 
and cheerful company. Antispasmodics, and remedies which have a 
gently stimulating effect, will frequently relieve the sleeplessness 
complained of by hysterical patients better than opiates and other 
narcotics. In such cases Dr. Graves recommends pills composed of 
a grain of musk and two or three grains of assafcetida, to be taken 
two or three times a day. 

PREMATURE BIRTH. 

A birth which occurs between the seventh and ninth month of 
pregnancy is generally so called. It is a contingency to be most 
carefully guarded against, for a child born before its regular time 
can scarcely be expected to have the strength and vigor of one 
who attains its full development in the womb. Nevertheless, cases 
have been known in which the early-born child has grown up hearty 
and strong, and there are also cases in which, for the mother's sake, 
a premature labor is desirable, as giving the only possible chance of 
producing living offspring at all. There may be an unusually small 
pelvic cavity, owing to some malformation, or narrowing of the pas- 
sage through which the foetus has to pass, so that it can only do so 
by an operation, involving death to the child and great danger to 
the mother. Of course, none but a physician should be entrusted 
with the delicate task of bringing about a premature labor, and 
only such a sad necessity as is here hinted at should authorize him 
to attempt it. 

PUERPERAL FEVER (Childbed Fever). 

This is one of the most fatal diseases which attack lying-in women. 
It is a fever of a very high character, arising from inflammation of 
the serous membrane, and often of the womb itself, and of its veins 
and absorbents. It runs a very rapid course, and is commonly fatal. 
It assumes the character of an epidemic, and frequently causes 
great mortality in lying-in hospitals. Whether it is really contagious 
or not is yet an open question. The mere probability that it may 
be so should render persons extremely cautious in their intercourse 
with those who are suffering under it. 

Symptoms. — There is usually an anxious countenance, sickness, 
hurried respiration, a furred tongue, and a stoppage of the secre- 
tions, especially of the milk. When these symptoms occur soon 



358 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

after childbirth, no attempt should be made at domestic treatment. 
Let the medical man be summoned immediately, if he be not already 
in attendance. 

PUERPERAL CONVULSIONS. 

These sometimes come on after labor has commenced, or imme- 
diately on its completion ; and, therefore, while the patient is in a 
state of great suffering and prostration. The hysterical form is the 
most easily dealt with,- — merely dash a little cold water in the face, 
and give a teaspoonful of sal volatile in water, as in common 
hysteria. 

The epileptic and apoplectic forms are both extremely dangerous. 
Blood will have to be taken either from the arm or the temporal 
artery, and strong mercurial purgatives adminstered ; the hair must 
be cut short, and a blister applied to the nape of the neck, and cold 
lotions to the head. If by these means the convulsions can be sub- 
dued, and the delivery, if it has not taken place, be accomplished, 
there may be a chance for the patient. Care must be taken in the 
apoplectic form not to give opium, which will probably be required 
in the epileptic. Generally, however, a medical man will be present 
at such a crisis; if not, let him be summoned instantly. 

PUERPERAL MANIA, OR NERVOUSNESS. 

This disease frequently attacks women either a little before, 
during, or shortly after childbirth, and sometimes during nursing. 

Symptoms. — Great nervous irritation; the face is commonly pallid, 
the eye troubled, the tongue white, and skin hot ; the mind wanders, 
and conduct very irregular. 

Treatment. — Give a purge of senna and salts, and keep the bowels 
regular by the compound rhubarb pill. Keep the room darkened, 
and let the patient be kept quiet, and free from the interruption of 
friends. If she is restless at night, give her an anodyne, such as 
twenty drops of hartshorn, or one grain of opium in a solid pill. 

WHITE LEG, OR MILK LEG-. 

This troublesome disorder is apt to follow childbirth in some con- 
stitutions, and is of long duration. 

Symptoms. — It may commence two or three days after delivery, or 
it may not for some weeks. There is a little fever, and the parts 



DISEASES OF WOMEN.. 359 

about the thigh and groin feel hot, stiff, and painful ; swelling com- 
mences, which extends over the whole limb, which does not, how- 
ever, change color, except it be paler or whiter than natural. At this 
time the pain is usually very severe. After a time the symptoms 
abate a little, but the limb remains for a long time swollen, and 
comparatively useless. 

Treatment. — Cooling purgatives, such as magnesia, and salts and 
senna, and warm fomentations and poultices. Judicious bandaging 
will be of great service. 

ITCHING OF THE EXTERNAL GENITAL ORGANS. 

The delicate internal lining of the external organs of generation 
sometimes becomes the seat of a most distressing itching, to relieve 
which, the parts may be so irritated by friction as to become vio- 
lently inflamed. Leeches have been used sometimes with benefit ; 
so has the application of cold, such as ice-water, or even lumps of 
iqje introduced into the vagina. When there is an eruption like that 
in the sore mouth of children, injections of a strong solution of 
borax have been very useful ; thick starch water, with a solution of 
sugar of lead, injected into the vagina, and retained for an hour or 
two, have been also of great utility in a few cases under our care. 
This irritation sometimes arises from disease of the womb, preg- 
nancy, the presence of a stone in the bladder, or worms in the 
bowels. The original affection must first be attended to in these 
cases, as elsewhere directed. 



360 OUR FAMILY DOCTOB. 



PART III 



Children and Their Diseases 



THE MANAGEMENT OF NEW-BORN INFANTS. 

In the majority of cases, the child begins to breathe and cry as 
soon as it is ushered into the world. This, .however, is not always 
the case. Many children manifest no signs of animation when born, 
who may, nevertheless, be re-excited by prompt and judicious man- 
agement. "When this state of apparent death depends on the apo- 
plectic condition of the brain, the infant's countenance exhibits a livid 
or deep red and bloated appearance ; the eyes are prominent, and the 
surface of the body warm and reddish ; sometimes the body is flaccid, 
and the navel-string has ceased to pulsate. Everything, in such a 
case, depends on the speedy removal of the congested condition of 
the brain. The umbilical cord should be immediately cut, and an 
effort made to stripe some blood from it with the fingers. When 
the cord pulsates vigorously, nothing more is generally required 
for setting the vital functions in play than to divide the cord and 
suffer the blood to flow freely from it. The child s head should be 
supported in an elevated position, cool water applied to the scalp, 
and the inferior parts of its body wrapped in warm flannel. An 
effort should be made to excite the respiratory functions by artificial 
inflation of the lungs and compression of the thorax with the hands. 
In inflating the lungs, a silk handkerchief folded double, or a fine 
napkin, should be laid over the mouth of the infant; the nurse 
should then apply her mouth to that of the babe, at the same time 
closing its nostrils, and endeavor, by a moderate but uniform force 
of insufflation, to fill its lungs with air. The covering of the mouth 
is recommended as a means of avoiding fatal rupture of the pulmo 



CHILDREN AND THEIR DISEASES. 361 

nary air-cells. It is proper to observe that when these manifestations 
of cephalic congestion and general fullness are not present, that is, 
when the face and body present a pale and shrunken appearance, 
blood can not be abstracted without much injury to the child. 

Some infants remain for a minute or two after birth without any, 
or but a few respiratory efforts, although they will open their eyes 
and move their extremities with sufficient activity. A few drops of 
cold water sprinkled on the chest or abdomen will instantly cause 
them to breathe and cry out lustily. The main point of caution, in 
cases of this kind, is to avoid tying the cord until its pulsation has 
ceased, or has become quite feeble. In all instances where respira- 
tion does not ensue immediately after birth, or is any wise embar- 
rassed, prompt attention should be paid to the removal of the viscid 
mucus which is usually lodged in the mouth, fauces, and larynx of 
new-born infants. A finger surrounded with a piece of soft linen 
should be carefully introduced into the mouth, and the tenacious 
slime brought away. 

Infants are sometimes born in a state of asphyxia, without any 
signs of congestion or vascular fullness, — the surface of the body 
being pale, and the face free from puffiness, which occurs in apo- 
plectic or congestive cases. If, in such cases, the cord continues to 
pulsate, it must on no account be divided until pulsation has ceased. 
The mouth should be immediately cleared in the manner just men- 
tioned, and a little cold spirits, or water, dashed on the pit of the 
stomach. So long as the cord beats, some stimulant, such as brandy, 
spirits of camphor, or etiier, may be applied to the lips and nostrils. 
It will also be proper to rub the body and extremities, gently, with 
dry warm flannels. When the pulsation of the cord has ceased, and 
the child still continues in this state, the cord must be divided, and 
the infant wrapped in dry and heated flannel, 'which is better than 
the use of the warm bath. Infants in this condition should not be 
hastily abandoned. Thirty minutes and even a longer period may 
elapse before the child begins to respire. 

In all instances where resuscitation has been effected from a state 
of asphyxia, it is of the utmost consequence to suffer the infant to 
lie perfectly at rest, for several hours, before it is subjected to the 
agitation and fatigue of washing and dressing. Infants born be 
tween the seventh and eighth months, generally remain in a somno- 
lent state for several weeks, and ought to be as little disturbed by 
washing and dressing, or feeding, as possible. 



362 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

Occasionally feeble infants suddenly sink into a state of syncope, 
or apparent death, after everything seemed going on well. This 
deathlike condition usually continues a few minutes, and then gradu- 
ally passes off, leaving the infant in a languid and fretful state. 
This affection is probably the result of some intestinal irritation. 
During the paroxysm, efforts must be made to re-excite the vital 
power by wrapping the child's body in a piece of thick flannel 
wrung out in hot whiskey. A drop of ether, or spirits of camphor, 
should be applied to the nostrils and lips; and weak sinapisms 
laid to the soles of the feet. 

The general rule as to tying the cord, with the exceptions above 
noticed, is, that it is the safest to delay the tying of it, until it has 
entirely ceased to pulsate. 

THE MECONIUM. 

The faecal matter formed in the bowels of infants, before birth, is 
called meconium. Its timely removal is an object of no small impor- 
tance. Nature has furnished the appropriate purgative for this pur- 
pose, in the first milk, or eolustrum, secreted in the maternal breasts. 
The small portion of fluid which the child usually obtains at the 
breast, during the first nine or ten hours, possesses a decidedly pur- 
gative character, and generally causes the entire evacuation of the 
meconial matter. But instead of putting the infant early to the 
breast, and waiting for the operation of this congenial laxative, the 
almost universal custom is to introduce some artificial purgative 
into the stomach, such as castor-oil or syrup of rhubarb, or sweet oil, 
or molasses. Nothing can be more prejudicial to the infant's health 
than this. Apply the infant to its mother's breast before the proper 
milk is secreted, and, in nine cases out of ten, adequate purgation 
will be produced without any irritation of the system. It is only 
when the eolustrum fails that artificial purgatives should be resorted 
to ; and, for this purpose, a teaspoonful of molasses diluted with a 
small portion of warm water, or a teaspoonful of castor-oil, should 
be given. Where there is great torpor of the bowels, two grains of 
ipecacuanha, with five grains of powdered rhubarb, may be given 
every hour until free evacuations are produced. The warm bath 
will, in general, promote the operation of the purge, — especially 
placing the lower part of the body in warm water, and making cold 
applications to the head. 



CHILDREN AND THEIR DISEASES. 363 

WASHING AND DRESSING. 

When the infant is born, and the function of breathing is well 
established, it must be carefully separated from the mother, and 
secundines, wrapped in a soft piece of flannel, its mouth and nose 
being left uncovered, and handed to the nurse. The washing of the 
infant should, if possible, be performed in an adjoining room to that 
in which the delivery has taken place, as nurses in general make 
much noise and bustle about it. The water used for washing 
healthy and vigorous infants should be lukewarm ; but for very weak 
ones, water of a higher temperature will be necessary. The skin of 
the infant at birth is covered with a whitish cheesy kind of sub- 
stance, which is most abundant in the folds of the joints, the groins, 
and armpits. It is particularly important to the health and com- 
fort of the infant that every particle of this substance should be 
removed; but as it is wholly insoluble in water, and is but very 
slightly acted on by soap, we must employ lard, of fresh butter, or 
the yolk of eggs, to render it soluble. Before any water is applied 
to the infant's body, the skin should be smeared and gently rubbed 
with one of these substances, after which the whole may be easily 
washed off with warm water and mild soap. When the infant is 
delicate or extremely feeble, the addition of a teaspoonful of wine or 
brandy to the water in which it is washed may be of great service ; 
but unless such a special reason for stimulating applications be 
present, plain water is decidedly the most proper. After the child 
has been thoroughly washed, it should be well dried and imme- 
diately dressed. Throughout the whole period of infancy, the child's 
body should be washed every morning and evening. The practice 
of dusting fine starch or hair-powder over the body, with the view 
of keeping the skin dry and soft, is improper. On the appearance 
of any excoriations, a little finely powdered starch may be dusted 
over the affected part with benefit. 

THE DRESS. 

The first thing to be done in dressing the infant is to fix the re- 
mains of the navel-string, or umbilical cord, in a proper manner. 
The nurse takes a soft piece of linen, about two inches square, cuts 
a small circular hole in its centre, through which she brings the re- 
maining part of the navel-cord, and then envelops it. She next 
turns it toward the chest of the infant, and places a small flannel 
bandage or roller over it and round the body. This bandage should 



364 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

be a simple strip of flannel, about four inches wide, which should be 
worn sufficiently loose to admit of the easy introduction of a finger 
under it. Almost every part of the infant's dress should open on 
the back, and be fastened by tapes or buttons ; pins ought to be 
entirely laid aside. The clothing should be warm, light, and loose. 
The lightest and softest kinds of flannel should be worn in winter ; 
in warm seasons muslin may be substituted for the flannel ; but com- 
mon sense dictates the propriety of constantly accommodating the 
clothing to the varying state of the weather. The infant should 
never be suffered to sleep in the flannel which has been worn during 
the day; and in the morning it ought to be again changed. During 
the first eight or nine months the child's clothes should extend con- 
siderably below the feet, in order that the lower parts of the body 
may be duly protected against the cold. After this age, however, 
the feet should be entirely unincumbered. During cold weather, 
fine woollen stockings, sufficiently wide to be easily put on, should 
be worn; but in warm weather, light soft flannel socks will suffice. 
The shoes should be made of light pliable materials, and sufficiently 
large to prevent all constrant of the feet. In very young infants, 
thin woollen socks will protect the feet sufficiently during warm 
weather ; but when they are about learning to walk it is best to have 
the feet protected against accidents by soft light shoes. It is highly 
important that the child should be kept as dry as possible. Its 
under-clothes should be immediately removed when wet, and re- 
placed by dry and clean ones. 

THE FOOD OF INFANTS. 

With healthy infants, several hours at least should be suffered to 
pass, immediately after birth, before any alimentary substances are 
introduced into the stomach. A few teaspoonfuls of some very 
bland and weak fluid might not be detrimental, but the usual practice 
of filling the stomach to distention with gruel, or pulverized biscuit 
dissolved in water, or some such preparation, is exceedingly to be 
deprecated. In nine cases out of ten, perhaps, the gripings, flatu- 
lency, diarrhoea, and colic, which so frequently harass infants during 
the first six months of their existence after birth, are the results of 
indigestion, brought on by errors in diet. And then, to relieve these 
symptoms, nurses employ catmint tea, annise-seed tea, paregoric, or 
some other pestiferous palliative or nostrum ; and thus, an additional 



CHILDKEN AND THEIR DISEASES. 365 

source of stomach-derangement, or indigestion, is brought into 
operation on the unfortunate babe. The infant's digestive functions 
are often injured also by the exhibition of active purgatives. There 
is no substance in nature, nor can there be anything prepared by 
art, which forms so congenial and wholesome a nourishment to the 
young babe as its mother's milk. It is almost superfluous to remark 
that nature manifestly intended this fluid as its sole nutriment at 
this early stage of life, and until the primary teeth make their ap- 
pearance. Should there exist any inability of suckling the child, a 
mixture of two parts of fresh cow's milk and one part of warm water 
approaches nearer to the nature of human milk than anything else 
that can conveniently be procured. After the first teeth have come 
out, small portions of barley-water, thinly prepared arrow-root, or a 
mixture of equal parts of cow's milk and water, may be given two or 
three times daily, in addition to the nourishment drawn from the 
breasts. The food should be introduced into the stomach as grad- 
ually as possible, and, we must again repeat the caution, care should 
be taken not to overload the stomach. After the seventh month, 
small portions of the food just mentioned should be given at regular 
periods, three or four times daily. The practice of dandling or jolt- 
ing infants soon after they have taken nourishment is decidedly 
improper. The child should be left quiet for at least thirty or forty 
minutes after having received its food. 

THE EMPLOYMENT OF NURSES. 

Mothers are not always in a condition which enables them to 
suckle their own infants. This is unfortunate, for it can not be 
doubted that the mother's milk is, in general, better adapted to the 
constitutional temperament of her offspring than that furnished by 
others. 

No woman who has led a debauched course of life, even though 
reformed, can be regarded as a perfectly safe nurse. Females of 
this description are apt to have their system contaminated with some 
morbid taint which may give an unwholesome quality to the milk. 
The nurse should be of sound and vigorous constitution, and the age 
of the milk should not vary much from that of the infant itself, up 
to the fourth month. After that period such a relation between the 
ages of the milk and child is not of much importance. A nurse who 
has but one good breast should never be selected, for a babe suckled 



366 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

by one breast only is apt to contract the habit of squinting. To 
avoid this, the babe should be nourished alternately from both 
breasts. Particular regard should be had to the temper and moral 
habits of the nurse. It is hardly necessary to observe that an irri- 
table, passionate, and sour-tempered female is but ill suited for the 
important duty of nursing. 

ARTIFICIAL NURSING. 

Under judicious management, infants will, in general, experience 
no inconvenience from a course of artificial nursing; and, as a gen- 
eral rule, this mode of nourishing children is preferable to the 
employment of a wet-nurse whose competency and fitness for the 
duty are equivocal. Yery young, and peculiarly delicate and feeble 
infants seldom do well when raised by hand ; and when, upon trial, 
the slightest kinds of artificial aliment are found to disorder the 
alimentary canal, the life of the infant will very probably depend 
upon a fresh and wholesome breast being instantly procured for it. 
When artificial nourishment must be resorted to, a mixture of two 
parts of fresh cow's milk, and one part of warm water, with a very 
small portion of sugar, will, in general, answer the purpose better 
than any other kind of food that can be contrived. Thin barley- 
water, or a very liquid preparation of arrow-root, will sometimes be 
useful as a change of nourishment, where, from acidity in the stom- 
ach, the milk curdles and causes griping. The sucking-bottle is 
decidedly the best mode of feeding the child, but particular care 
should be taken to keep it always perfectly clean and sweet. It 
should be well washed, both inside and outside, with hot water 
every morning and evening. 

Children who are entirely nursed by artificial diet should be re- 
stricted to the use of the milk and water mixture already mentioned, 
until several teeth have made their appearance. After the third 
month, however, the proportion of milk should be increased to three 
parts of milk and one part of water. After the first teeth appear, 
grated hard biscuit dissolved in warm water, oatmeal gruel, liquid 
preparations of arrow-root or sago, milk thickened with flour, and 
thin pap, may be allowed in moderate quantities. When these prepa 
rations do not agree with the child's stomach, they should be mixed 
with an equal portion of weak chicken or beef broth, clear and well 
freed from fat. With some children, no form in which cow's milk 



CHILDKEN AND THEIK DISEASES. 367 

can be given will agree with the stomach. In such cases, farinaceous 
decoctions, mixed with a small portion of cream, are generally di- 
gested with ease. Thin oatmeal gruel, or rice flour boiled in water, 
with the addition of a teaspoonful of cream to every gill of liquid 
preparation will answer very well. All solid animal food should be 
withheld until the dog-teeth have first made their appearance. The 
animal food given to young children should be plainly roasted or 
boiled. Fried and broiled meats, and all food heated a second time 
should be avoided. Those children who eat least animal food, will, 
in general, be found the most healthy. Soft-boiled eggs form one 
of the most appropriate articles of food for children after the first 
teeth have come out. As a general rule, from three to four hours 
may be regarded as a suitable interval between the meals of the child; 
if it requires nourishment between the regular meals, small portions 
of liquid aliment should be used. When solid animal food forms a 
part of the diet of children, it should be taken at noon or in the 
forenoon. Pure water, with or without small portions of milk, con- 
stitutes the best drink for children. The practice of allowing them 
a little wine, spirits, or malt liquors, is decidedly reprehensible. In- 
dulgence in the use of cakes and candies is a copious source of dis- 
ease during childhood. Dried fruits preserved with sugar, and fruits 
preserved with their skins, are peculiarly indigestible. Even two or 
three raisins have been known to produce the most serious and pro- 
tracted disorder of the intestinal canal in infants. Apples, peaches, 
and apricots, when perfectly ripe and mellow, may be reasonably 
allowed to children in moderate portions, when the stomach and 
bowels are in good order. Nothing, however, is more prejudicial 
than unripe fruits. Stewed or roasted fruits may be allowed occa- 
sionally, provided they are not very sour. 

EXERCISE. 

It is of great importance to allow the infant the freest possible 
use of the limbs. Muscular exertion is indispensable to the preser- 
vation of its health and the due development of its powers, and it 
should be an especial object of care to allow it entire freedom of 
motion for several hours daily, by avoiding all modes of dress and 
position tending to restrain the free use of its limbs. "With this 
view, the infant should be taken from its bed, laid upon its back on 
a soft mattress or any other level and slightly resisting surface, and 



368 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

divested of everything calculated to restrain the motion of its limbs 
and body. This should be repeated two or three times daily, and 
in warm weather the air should be freely admitted. 

Beside the exercise which infants thus obtain by their own mus- 
cular efforts, passive exercise should be regularly afforded them by 
carrying in the arms or riding in an easy carriage. The use of this 
kind of motion should be commenced as early as the second or 
third day after birth, provided the infant be not unusually feeble. 
At first, that is, a few days after birth, the infant should be taken 
from its cradle two or three times daily, laid on its back upon a 
pillow, and carried gently about the chamber. After the third or 
fourth week, the child may be carried, in a reclining posture, on the 
arm of a careful nurse, in such a way as to afford entire support to 
the body and head. This may be done by reclining the infant upon 
the forearm, the hand embracing the upper and posterior part of its 
thigh, whilst its body and head are supported by resting against the 
breast and arm of the nurse. When held in this way, it may be 
gently moved from side to side, or up and down, while it is carefully 
carried through a well-ventilated room. When the child has 
acquired a sufficient degree of strength to maintain itself in a sit- 
ting posture — which is seldom before the completion of the third 
month — it may be carried about in this posture for a short time, 
twice or thrice daily, provided the spine and head be supported by 
the nurse, an aid which can seldom be prudently dispensed with be- 
fore the child is six or seven months old. All rapid, whirling, and 
concussive motions are calculated to injure the delicate organization 
of infants; therefore, running or jumping with an infant, in the 
arms, descending rapidly a flight of stairs, or whirling round, ought 
to be rigidly forbidden. The practice of supporting very young 
infants in a sitting posture on the knee, and jolting them violently, 
can not be too severely censured. These violent agitations power- 
fully affect the delicate organization of infants, and may be produc- 
tive of spasms, epilepsy, and apoplectic fits. To gentle rocking of 
infants in the cradle there seems no great objection, but rapid or 
long-continued motion of this kind should be avoided. Riding in a 
carriage, properly constructed, is an excellent mode of affording 
suitable exercise to infants. The body of the carriage should be 
long enough to permit the infant to lie down at full length, and the 
sides sufficiently high to prevent it falling or rolling out. The 
wheels should be low, and the carriage should be made to move at 



CHILDREN AND THEIR DISEASES. 369 

a moderate and equal pace over smooth ground. Very young infants 
should be laid down in the carriage, on a pillow, or a small and soft 
mattress, with the head slightly elevated, and so confined at the 
sides as to prevent the body rolling when the carriage is put in 
motion. After the child has acquired some degree of strength, it 
should be placed in a semi-recumbent posture, with its head and 
back well supported by pillows. . 

When the infant has acquired sufficient strength to support itself 
in the sitting posture, it should be frequently set down on a soft 
carpet, and surrounded with its toys. When left to the free use of 
its limbs, in these circumstances, it will soon learn to creep, — an 
exercise which should always be freely allowed to it. If the weather 
is serene, and the ground perfectly dry, the child may be carried 
out and placed on a grass plat, where it can range about in all direc- 
tions. If occasionally supported under the arms, it will easily learn 
to stand erect, but it should never be raised up or led, by one arm 
only. After children have acquired the use of their legs, walking is 
decidedly the best exercise they can take. When the weather is fine, 
they should be taken out daily, and allowed to run freely about on 
the grass, or ground free from stones. A fall or two will do them 
little or no harm ; when such do occur, they should not be soothed 
by expressions of extreme pity and sorrow, for children accustomed 
to excessive commiseration, will, when any little accident happens 
to them, never fail to strain their little lungs to the utmost by 
crying. 

AIR, TEMPERATURE, AND NURSERIES. 

Pure air is indispensable to the entire well-being of the human 
frame, and at no period of life are the effects of confinement in stag- 
nant and impure air more obviously and lastingly detrimental than 
during the feeble and susceptible age of childhood. Infants ought 
to be accustomed to the fresh air as soon as they are two weeks old, 
and should enjoy it daily for an hour or two when the weather is 
clear and mild. They should not, however, be carried at once into 
the external air, without having been previously accustomed to the 
air of a well-ventilated chamber. After the child is three or four 
days old, it ought to be conveyed several times daily out of its nur- 
sery into a room having at first only the window open, and, in four 
or five days afterwards, the doors also. This having been practised 



370 OUE FAMILY DOCTOE. 

for ten or twelve days, the child may then be carried out of doors 
and permitted to enjoy the pure and open air; but at first it should 
not be kept out more than ten or twelve minutes at a time. After 
a child has acquired the power of walking, it should be suffered to 
spend a great portion of its time in the open air, provided the 
weather is temperate and dry; but while children are to be en- 
couraged to take exercise and active amusement in the open air, 
they should not be permitted to lie down or sit on the cold and 
damp ground, or in a strong current of air in the shade when they 
are in a state of perspiration from exercise ; nor should they, on any 
account, be permitted to drink cold water when thus heated. 

Nurseries ought, of course, to be kept clean and well ventilated. 
When the atmosphere is mild, the external air ought to be freely 
admitted by keeping a window open during the day, and at night 
the chamber door should be left open. The floor should be kept 
clean and dry ; wet and soiled articles of clothing should be instantly 
removed; and the temperature should never exceed sixty-eight de 
grees of \ Fahrenheit. The general error here is to keep the apart- 
ments of children much warmer than is consistent either with their 
comfort or health. "Warm rooms principally contribute to the ex- 
traordinary mortality of children, who are carried off by convulsions 
in the first months of their lives. The nursery ought always to be 
of ample dimensions, and the windows should be provided with iron 
bars to prevent children from falling out, and all superfluous furni- 
ture should be excluded. 

WEANING. 

The proper time for weaning is soon after all the incision teeth 
have made their appearance. This varies considerably in different 
cases, but will seldom be delayed beyond the eleventh month, and in 
the majority of instances, will occur between the ninth and tenth 
months. Some infants, indeed, have teeth before the sixth month, 
and others not sooner than the twelfth or sixteenth; for the first it 
would be too soon to advise weaning, — for the latter, it would be 
too long to delay it. It would be injudicious to attempt weaning 
when the child's health is bad, while it is teething, or while laboring 
under disease of any kind, as the breast is a source or tranquillity — 
a kind of sedative in all the diseases and varieties of temper of infants. 
Weaning ought always to be accomplished, if possible, in a gradual 
manner ; as the period of weaning approaches, small portions of bread, 



CHILDREN AND THEIR DISEASES. 371 

bread and milk, milk thickened with rice or flour, or chicken tea, 
should be allowed the child, twice or thrice daily, whilst at the same 
time the intervals of suckling should be more and more prolonged. 
"When the child is gradually accustomed to take other food, and very 
much amused by its mother, it will easily be got to forget the breast, 
and seldom require it. 

The process of weaning will be helped by allowing the infant to 
drink from a cup, pretty liberally, of milk, with a sixth part of tepid 
water. After the child has been weaned, its principal nourishment 
ought still to consist of liquid or semi-fluid substances — milk, milk 
boiled with bread or slightly thickened with rice or wheat flour, pre- 
parations of arrow-root, tapioca, or sago, oatmeal gruel, or hard bis- 
cuits finely pulverized and dissolved in warm water, with a little milk 
and sugar, should constitute the principal nourishment, until the 
eye-teeth, or fangs, have made their appearance. Along with these 
fluid alimentary substances small portions of bread and weak broth 
may be occasionally allowed; but it is particularly important to 
guard against too full and nourishing a diet immediately after wean- 
ing. In general, weaning may be accomplished with least risk dur 
ing the mild months of April, May, September, and October. Dur- 
ing the warm months of June, July, and August, the transition from 
the maternal milk to an exclusively artificial nourishment is more 
apt to be injurious. 

CLEANLINESS, WASHING, AND BATHING 

Cleanliness is a most important requisite to a healthy state of the 
skin. The tendency of a foul state of the skin to give rise to various 
chronic cutaneous disorders, of a loathsome and harassing character, 
is well known. The general health, too, is liable to be impaired by 
an habitually unclean state of the surface of the body. We have 
already said that infants ought to be thoroughly washed over the 
whole body at least once a day. After weaning, it will be sufficient 
to wash the child once every other day. During the first three or 
four months of the child's existence, warm water should be used; 
after that period it should be only lukewarm, until the first teething 
is completed, when it ought to be still further reduced until it ex- 
cites a decided sensation of coolness when applied to the body. The 
washing should be performed with a soft sponge or a piece of soft 
linen. While the infant is at the breast, the bath, in addition to 



372 OUR FAMILY DOCTOE. 

washing, ought to be used every other day, and afterwards at least 
twice every week. Until the end of the third year, the bath ought 
to be tepid; and for feeble and sickly children, tepid water must be 
used till a later period. In using the bath, the child's body ought 
to be immersed up to the shoulders or neck: the practice of immer- 
sing only the lower half of the body in the bath is decidedly objec- 
tionable. For the first four or five weeks, the infant should not be 
kept beyond two or three minutes in the bath ; the duration may be 
gradually prolonged until it extends to twelve or fifteen minutes — 
the period which a child may be allowed to spend in the bath after 
it has attained the age of four years. The best time for bathing 
children is about two hours after breakfast or dinner. The bathing 
ought to be conducted in a room moderately warm ; and, on remov- 
ing the child from the bath, it ought to be instantly wiped perfectly 
dry, and invested in warm and dry linen. Infants may then be 
placed in bed, which, in winter, should be previously warmed, and 
they will generally fall into a refreshing sleep. Children further 
advanced in age, who have already been accustomed to the cool 
bath, need not be put to bed, but rather encouraged to take exercise 
in the open air. The temperature of the bath ought to be about 
ninety-eight degrees of Fahrenheit during the first ten or twelve 
days of the child's existence. It should then be progressively re- 
duced about one degree every month until the end of the first year, 
and continued at this degree of warmth until the completion of the 
second year. After this period, it is to be further reduced, though 
in a very gradual manner, until, about the end of the third year, it 
excites a sensation of decided coolness. 

DISEASES OE CHILDEEN. 

TONG-UE-TIE. 

It frequently happens that the tongue of an infant is so tied 
down and restrained in its actions, that sucking is rendered extreme- 
ly difficult, and attended with a peculiar "clucking"' noise in the 
fauces. When this is occasioned by the proper fleshy frsenum extend- 
ing too near the extremity of the tongue, nothing can with propriety 
be done towards remedying the evil ; but when the part which ties 
down the tongue is not the proper frsenum, but a thin transparent 
member extending from it to near the tip of the tongue, it may be 
immediately divided with a pair of blunt-pointed scissors. 



CHILDREN AND THEIR DISEASES. 373 

INFLAMMATION OF THE BREASTS AND NAVEL. 

New-born infants are liable to a singular inflammation and enlarge- 
ment of the breasts, which is often very injuriously treated by 
squeezing, sucking, or pressing them, in order that they may be 
"milked out," as ignorant nurses talk of. In moderate cases of this 
kind, nothing more is necessary than to apply a piece of linen moist- 
ened with a little sweet oil ; or a weak solution of the muriate of 
ammonia in vinegar and water, in the proportion of a drachm of the 
ammonia to four ounces of vinegar. The solution ought to be ap- 
plied warm by moistening pieces of linen with it, and laying them 
over the affected parts. 

Inflammation and consequent ulceration about the navel is a fre- 
quent occurrence during the first nine or ten days after birth. The 
most common cause is deficient attention to cleanliness, particularly 
in not clearing away the white caseous matter from about the um- 
bilicus. A solution of the sulphate of copper, in the proportion of 
ten grains to an ounce of water, may be applied once or twice daily, 
and the parts afterwards covered with lead ointment, where there is 
superficial ulceration without much inflammation. Whatever appli- 
cations are made, the parts should be carefully washed with lukewarm 
water, at least twice daily. 

JAUNDICE OF INFANTS. 

In many instances a yellowness of the skin comes on within three 
or four days after birth, but soon disappears again, without pro- 
ducing any unpleasant consequences. When, however, the white of 
the eye becomes yellow, the bowels get costive, and the stools are 
whitish or clay-colored, and there is an inclination to vomit, a suit- 
able course of remedial measures should be instantly resorted to. 

Treatment. — Much benefit may often be derived from emetics. 
A few grains of ipecacuanha should be given every fifteen or twenty 
minutes until vomiting is produced; and when the disease is obsti- 
nate, the emetic may be advantageously repeated every other day 
until the stools acquire a bilious appearance. In all instances of 
an inflammatory character, however, attended with soreness of the 
region of the liver and stomach, emetics ought not to be employed. 
In these latter cases, the fourth of a grain of podophyllin may be 
given every two hours, until two or three grains have been taken. If 



374 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

free purging does not ensue, its operation must be aided by castor- 
oil given in teaspoonful doses every hour until the effect is obtained. 
After the bowels have been once freely evacuated, they should be 
kept in a loose state by administering one-fourth of a grain of podo- 
phyllin every morning, noon, and evening, with an occasional tea- 
spoonful of castor-oil. In conjunction with these remedies, the daily 
use of the warm bath is beneficial ; and gentle friction with the bare 
hand over the region of the liver and stomach, provided there be no 
hepatic inflammation or abdominal tenderness. Where infantile 
jaundice is accompanied with a febrile condition, four or five leeches 
ought to be applied to the right hypochondrium ; and, in very vio- 
lent cases, the application of a small blister to the region of the liver 
may do much good. Where there is great constipation of the bow- 
els, eight or ten drops of spirits of turpentine may be added to the 
dose of castor-oil. Where diarrhoetic symptoms are present, a fourth 
of a grain of Dover's powder, in conjunction with a grain of the bi- 
carbonate of soda, may be given every three or four hours. It is 
hardly necessary to add that all severe cases of this disease should 
be treated by a medical man. 

RETENTION, SUPPRESSION, AND DIFFICULTY IN VOIDING 

THE URINE. 

There may be little or no urine secreted during the first fifteen or 
twenty hours after birth, and yet the infant manifest no uneasiness ; 
but when the inactivity is protracted much beyond this period, the 
consequences may be very serious and even fatal. A teaspoonful of 
weak parsley tea, with two drops of sweet spirits of nitre, given every 
half hour, and the employment of the hip-bath, will generally excite 
the proper action of the kidneys. Should these means fail, friction 
may be applied over the loins and hypogastric region, and a drop of 
spirits of turpentine in a teaspoonful of milk, given every thirty or 
forty minutes in conjunction with warm bathing and laxatives. 

When there is retention of the urine, that is, when the urine is 
regularly secreted and conveyed into the bladder, but is not dis- 
charged, — a fact easily ascertained by the obviously increased dis- 
tress of the child upon pressure with the hand on the hypogastric 
region, — the warm bath is to be employed, with purgatives and 
gentle friction with camphorated oil; but, if the symptoms still 
increase, the bougie and catheter, in a skillful hand, must be imme- 
diately resorted to. Great care and delicacy are requisite in the 



CHILDREN AND THEIR DISEASES. 375 

introduction of such an instrument as the catheter into the bladder 
of an infant. It is also to be remembered that the bladder may 
continue distending, although small portions of urine are from time 
to time evacuated. This occurrence very frequently deceives the 
nurse, who imagines that the infant has obtained the requisite re- 
lief, while its sufferings and danger are momentarily increasing. 

Pain and difficulty in voiding urine is a frequent complaint among 
infants, particularly during teething. "When an infant is observed 
to have occasional fits of violent shrieking, this cause may be sus- 
pected. To ascertain the cause of the disease, the urine must be 
examined. If it presents a reddish sediment, the bowels should be 
freely evacuated with magnesia and rhubarb. Two or three grains 
of the subcarbonate of potash may be also administered twice or 
thrice daily. In cases where the urine deposits a whitish or yellow- 
white sediment, the bowels are to be freely evacuated with rhubarb 
or castor-oil, and very small doses of Dover's powder exhibited. 
Half a grain of this article, with a grain of powdered valerian, may 
be given every six hours to a child between two and five years of 
age. The diet should be mild and nutritious. "Where there is no 
morbid condition of the urine, a weak infusion of parsley-seed mixed 
with an equal portion of flax-seed may be employed. Where there 
is a slightly inflamed state of the extremity or orifice of the urethra, 
— a case almost wholly confined to female children, — the application 
of citrin ointment, mixed with an equal portion of lard, seldom fails 
to effect a cure. 

INCONTINENCE OF URINE. 

Incontinence of urine is a common affection in children. It is 
rarely attended with any particular uneasiness. In the majority of 
protracted cases, it is owing mainly to the influence of habit. 

Treatment. — If the urine is affected, the treatment should be 
regulated as indicated above, until it has been brought to a healthy 
or natural state. If this fails to overcome the habit, tincture of 
cantharides may be administered in doses of from ten to fifteen 
drops, thrice in the course of twenty-four hours, until a burning 
pain is experienced at the neck of the bladder on passing the urine. 
When this effect is produced, the use of the cantharides must be 
omitted ; if it is too violent, it may be moderated by mucilaginous 
drinks, such as flaxseed-tea, and the use also of the warm hip-bath. 
"When there is an irritable state of the bladder, cooling laxatives and 



376 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

opiates must be employed, with a mild diet. The child affected with 
incontinence of urine should always be made to sleep on its side or 
belly, and should always be required to empty the bladder just 
before going to bed. 

TEETHING. 

The progress of teething is usually accompanied with general 
irritability of the system ; one or both cheeks are often flushed, and 
the infant frequently starts in its sleep. This period is upon the 
whole one of the most perilous stages of life, — as many complaints 
which, at other periods, would have terminated favorably, often 
acquire a fatal violence from the irritable and irritative condition of 
the system. The occurrence of convulsions from difficult dentition 
is very common, and nothing tends more to favor their occurrence 
than improper diet, or overloading the stomach. Various eruptions 
on the skin are also frequently attendant on teething. Infants are 
also liable at this period to a peculiar croupy affection, attended 
with extremely difficult respiration. Fever is, upon the whole, the 
most common sympathetic affection of difficult teething. It seldom, 
however, assumes a vehement character. 

During teething the diet should be as mild and simple as possible. 
If the nurse has plenty of milk, nothing but it should be allowed 
until all the incisors at least are protruded. Should artificial nour- 
ishment be necessary, recourse may be had to the simple mixture 
of milk and water, mentioned in the article on "artificial feeding." 
All solid articles of food ought to be rigidly avoided. Eegular exer- 
cise in the open air is of great utility during dentition, where there 
is no distinct fever. The head ought to be kept cool, and, during 
warm weather, no caps ought to be worn. The bowels ought to be 
kept open by small doses of epsom salts dissolved in some bland 
and slightly mucilaginous fluid. When the stools present a whitish 
or clayey color, one or two grains of podophyllin may be given 
every third or fourth evening, and a moderate dose of castor-oil or 
magnesia on the following morning. 

A moderate diarrhoea need not be checked ; it will rather do good 
within certain limits, by counteracting the febrile disposition of the 
system. If it appears necessary to moderate it, a powder composed 
of one-fourth of a grain of ipecacuanha, one-sixth of a grain of podo- 
phyllin, and four or five grains of prepared chalk, should be given 
every three or four hours. By giving two or three doses of this 



CHILDREN AND THEIR DISEASES. 377 

powder daily, the diarrhoea may generally be kept in a sufficiently 
moderate state. The child's mouth ought to be washed out with 
fresh water every morning ; and it should be allowed a smooth coral 
or an ivory ring, to press and rub its gums Avith. The gums should 
be regularly inspected, and when much inflamed and swollen, should 
be freely divided by a lancet, directly over the point of the advancing 
tooth. The gums must be freely divided down to the teeth. This 
division of the gums is always to be resorted to when convulsions 
occur, if there be any signs of inflammation. When there are 
symptoms of cerebral irritation, — such as great fretfulness, flushing 
of the cheeks, and unusual sensibility of the eyes to the light, — the 
timely application of blisters behind the ears, or on the back of the 
neck, may do great service. The simultaneous application of cold 
to the head and warmth to the feet will also be useful. When the 
gums become ulcerated before the teeth are protruded, they should 
be lanced, and touched occasionally with a solution of four grains 
of sulphate of copper, or nitrate of silver, dissolved in an ounce of 
water, and applied with a dossil of lint. 

DIABETES. 

Diabetic affections are more common among children than is 
usually supposed, but seldom occur after the second year. 

Symptoms. — In the commencement of the disease the child be- 
comes languid and fretful; in a short time it begins to fall off in 
flesh, while the skin becomes dry, hard, and flabby; as the disease 
advances, the bowels get disordered, and the tongue is covered with 
a white fur, or thick transparent mucus ; the abdomen also becomes 
distended and tense, and, in the more advanced stage of the disease, 
the brain is generally more or less affected. The most remarkable 
symptom, however, is the inordinate discharge of urine, with or 
without sedimentous matter. 

Treatment. — In treating this disease, in cases where the urine is 
clearly saccharine, an animal diet should be substituted for the usual 
farinaceous or milk diet. If febrile symptoms are present, give mild 
aperients, and the occasional use of the warm bath. Opiates are 
often decidedly beneficial. To a child between one and two years 
old, a grain of Dover's powder may be given two or three times 
daily. In cases where the urine is not sweet, small doses of the 
bicarbonate of soda, in union with two or three grains of the bicar- 
bonate of iron, may be advantageously employed. A turpentine 



378 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

plaster laid over the region of the kidneys has been found of service 
in infantile diabetes. Where the digestive powers are good, beef 
tea, or weak chicken-broth, mixed with the usual farinaceous sub- 
stances, or a portion of milk, may be given for diet. The state of 
the gums should be particularly attended to while the child is labor- 
ing under this affection. 

ERYSIPELAS. 

Infants are liable to a peculiar erysipelatous inflammation within 
a few days after birth. 

Symptoms. — It generally commences on the lower parts of the 
body, in the form of a small red blotch, which gradually spreads 
over the abdomen and the thighs, presenting a swollen dark-red 
surface. In most cases, soon after inflammation is established, 
vesicles make their appearance, and the disease soon reaches a dan- 
gerous condition, the tendency to suppuration and gangrene being 
very great. 

Treatment. — On the first appearance of inflammation, wrap up 
the affected parts with cloths saturated with a strong solution of 
the sulphite of soda, and cover with oiled silk. The mucilage of 
slippery-elm bark, or grated potatoes, applied, will check the 
spreading. If gangrene is indicated, apply a poultice of indigo-weed, 
or lotions of the permangranate of potash. In inflammation, give 
teaspoonful doses of the elixir cinchonea and iron, in addition to the 
external application of the sulphite of soda. 

THRUSH. 

This is one of the most common diseases of infancy. It is charac- 
terized by a peculiar eruption of minute pustules, and a whitish 
incrustation of the tongue. 

Symptoms. — There are generally much thirst, restlessness, languor, 
acid and flatulent eructations, loose and griping stools, drowsiness, 
pain, difficulty of sucking, and a copious flow of saliva from the 
mouth. The stomach and bowels are almost always prominently 
disordered, and the infant is apt to vomit after taking anything into 
its stomach. The abdomen is often sore to the touch, and great 
difficulty of swallowing is experienced. Feeble and sickly children 
scarcely ever escape this disease; children, also, who are kept in 
crowded or ill-ventilated apartments are especially liable to it. 

Treatment — The first object is to restore the healthy condition 



CH1LDKEN AND THEIK DISEASES. 379 

of the stomach and bowels, if disordered. Where the ejections from 
the stomach are sour, and the alvine evacuations of a grass-green 
color, from three to four grains of magnesia with two grains of rhu- 
barb, and one of powdered valerian, should be given every two or 
three hours until the bowels are freely evacuated. If there is much 
general irritability and restlessness, after this the tepid bath, follow- 
ed by a drop or two of laudanum, should be employed. The mucous 
membrane of the intestines is apt to become highly irritated in se- 
vere cases; the alvine evacuations in such instances are frequent, 
watery, and streaked with blood. When these symptoms are present, 
a large emollient poultice should be applied over the abdomen, in 
conjunction with the internal use of minute portions of Dover's pow- 
der, with a solution of gum arabic as drink. Borax is a familiar rem- 
edy with nurses and mothers, as well as with the profession. It may 
be used either in the form of a powder, or in solution. If the former 
is employed, two or three grains of it, mixed with a small portion of 
pulverized loaf-sugar, must be thrown into the mouth every two or 
three hours; if the solution be used, a drachm of the borax should 
be dissolved in two ounces of water, and applied to the mouth with a 
soft linen rag tied to the extremity of a pliable piece of whalebone, or 
with a soft feather. The practice of forcibly rubbing off the eruption 
is extremely reprehensible; for, when rubbed off in this way, the 
crust is soon renewed in an aggravated form. Where the mouth is 
very red, livid, or ulcerated, we must have recourse to a decoction 
of bark. A half ounce of powdered bark, boiled about thirty minutes 
in half a pint of water, will make a suitable decoction ; and of this 
about the third of a teaspoonful may be put into the child's mouth 
every hour or two. 

ULCERATION OF THE MOUTH. 

Children are liable to an ulcerative affection of the mouth, which 
is evidently distinct from the ordinary aphthous eruption. It con- 
sists in a number of small ash-colored and excavated ulcerations, with 
elevated edges situated about the frsenum, and along the inferior 
margin of the tongue and gums and on the cheek. They usually com- 
mence in the form of small, red, slightly elevated points, attended 
with slight symptoms of febrile irritation. 

Treatment. — Clear out the bowels with a dose of magnesia and 
rhubarb. A solution of ten grains of the sulphate of copper in about 
three teaspoonfuls of water, to which four teaspoonfuls of borax must 



380 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

be added, may be applied to the ulcers once or twice daily by means 
of a strong camel's-hair pencil. Solid food, especially salted meats, 
and fish, must be rigidly avoided during this complaint. 

COLIC. 

Colic pains occur often, and with great severity, during the first 
five or six months of infancy. In slight attacks the infant suddenly 
becomes fretful, draws up its legs towards the abdomen, whines or 
cries for a few moments, and then resumes its usual quiet condition. 
After a very short interval, another attack of the same kind occurs, 
and again soon subsides ; and this goes on until a volume of wind 
breaks from the stomach or bowels, or a thin faecal discharge takes 
place, when relief ensues. In many cases, however, the symptoms 
are much more violent: there is excessive and unappeasable scream- 
ing, violent kicking, flushing of the face, writhing of the body, and 
a distended and tense state of the abdomen. When the colic pains 
are frequent, the general health of the infant almost always suffers 
obvious derangement; sometimes, however, the appetite remains 
good, and the infant goes on as if it were in every respect perfectly 
healthy. These pains are, in many instances, the consequences of 
overloading the delicate stomach of the infant with artificial food ; 
sometimes they arise from bad milk ; sometimes from the influence 
of cold. 

Treatme?it. — When there is reason for believing that the breast- 
milk is unwholesome, proper dietetic measures are to be attended 
to by the nurse ; but if, notwithstanding a regulation of her diet, 
the infant is still harassed by colic attacks, some advantage may 
perhaps be obtained by applying it to the breast at long intervals, 
and substituting small portions of artificial food, such as very thin 
arrow-root, barley-water, or a mixture of cow's milk and water. 
Magnesia, by its anti-acid and purgative effects, is one of the most 
useful remedies we possess for the management of this complaint. 
Three grains of magnesia with two grains of powdered velerian, 
may be given twice or thrice daily, until all acidity of the stomach 
is removed. If this do not keep up a sufficient action of the bowels, 
the proportion of magnesia should be occasionally increased, or a 
few grains of rhubarb added to the powders. 

As a temporary palliative for lessening the violence and duration 
of the attacks, Dr. Eberle recommends the following mixture : Dis- 
solve one drachm of camphor in an ounce of sulphuric ether; take 



CHILDKEN AND THEIE DISEASES. 381 

thirty drops of this solution, twenty grains of magnesia, and six 
drops of laudanum, and mix them together with an ounce of fennel- 
seed tea. Of this mixture, a teaspoonful may be given to an infant 
from two to six weeks old ; and, if sufficient relief be not obtained 
in half an hour, about half a teaspoonful more should be adminis- 
tered. Gentle friction with dry flannel over the abdomen is useful 
in aiding the expulsion of the confined wind. "When this disease 
recurs periodically, the above remedies will seldom be found so pow- 
erful as in the common irregular form of the complaint ; but when 
employed at all, they ought to be given the instant the paroxysm is 
about to commence. Viewing it as a periodical complaint, Dr. 
Dewees has administered a decoction of bark, during the intervals 
of the attacks, with great success. 

We must caution mothers and nurses, under this section, against 
the very common but very pernicious practice of administering large 
doses of anodynes or carminatives to infants. The habitual use of 
such substances almost always leads to very unfavorable conse- 
quences. Under this treatment, the appetite and digestive powers 
fail ; the body becomes emaciated, and the skin sallow and shrivelled ; 
the countenance acquires an expression of languor and suffering; 
and a general state of apathy, inactivity, and indolence ensues, which 
will probably terminate in convulsions, dropsy of the head, glandu- 
lar swellings, incurable jaundice, or fatal exhaustion of the vital 
energies. All the usual soothing mixtures contain more or less 
opium, and innumerable infants have been irretrievably injured by 
their employment. 

CONSTIPATION. 

Torpor of the bowels and consequent costiveness is of frequent 
occurrence among infants. In some instances the bowels always 
require to be excited by artificial means. In constitutional costive- 
ness, a period of from two to four days may intervene between stools 
without the child receiving any great injury, but it is prudent to 
watch such symptoms, especially where there is any tendency to 
convulsive affections. 

Treatment. — Manna dissolved in warm water to the consistency 
of a thick syrup is a good laxative, in teaspoonful doses. Costiveness 
from accidental causes is a more serious complaint. These causes 
may be a preternatural determination of the blood to the head, or 
an undue exhibition of opiates, or a rice diet, or unhealthy milk. 



382 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

Cold-pressed castor-oil is an excellent laxative in ordinary cases of 
this kind ; if acidity be present, magnesia is the appropriate laxative. 
In moderate cases, the introduction of a soap suppository into the 
anus will be of service. 

VOMITING. 

Vomiting occurs more frequently 3 and, in general, with much less 
unpleasant consequences, during early infancy than at any other 
period of life. It often happens in robust infants who are nourished 
at exuberant breasts, immediately after they have sucked. This is 
rather a salutary than a morbid occurrence, being a simple effort of 
nature to relieve itself of the superabundant nourishment with which 
the digestive organs are overloaded, yet it is always proper to guard 
against such over-repletion of the infant's stomach. With this view, 
the child should be taken from the breast the moment it begins to 
dally with it, or as soon as it ceases to draw as if it were really grati- 
fying a necessary and proper appetite. When the infant has satis- 
fied its appetite — we here repeat a caution already given — it ought 
not to be instantly jolted and dandled, but suffered to remain per- 
fectly at rest for at least thirty minutes. 

Treatment. — Vomiting connected with teething must be checked 
by blisters behind the ears, by dividing the gums, by purgatives, or 
by small doses of laudanum, as the case requires. In cases of vomit- 
ing excited by acidity of the stomach, repeated doses of lime-water 
and milk will be found serviceable. Where there is no acid present, 
and the food, having lain some time in the stomach, is suddenly and 
violently ejected, a drop or two of nitric acid in a little sweetened 
water, may be given. When the vomiting is excited by some im- 
proper article of food, a mild emetic, such as four or five grains of 
ipecacuanha, may be given ; or, in some cases, a little warm water 
will serve the purpose. If, after the stomach has been freed of its 
offensive contents, the vomiting does not cease, a few drops of lauda- 
num, or of camphorated spirit in a little milk, will generally prevent 
its recurrence. 

DIARRHOEA. 

Diarrhoea is more common during infancy than at any other period 
of life; and it is also more apt to assume an unmanageable and 
dangerous character at this period than at a more advanced stage 
of childhood or adult age. 



CHILDREN AND THEIR DISEASES. 383 

Causes. — The exciting causes of this disease are extremely vari- 
ous. Irritating, crude, and inappropriate articles of food or drink, 
are a frequent cause of diarrhoea. Children who are entirely nourish- 
ed at the breast are much less liable to this complaint than such as 
are partly nourished by artificial food. Some infants are invariably 
purged when fed with cow's milk, even when considerably diluted 
with water; others again are purged by arrow-root, although the 
usual effects of this substance are rather of a constipating character. 
Infants who are fed with solid food seldom escape suffering more or 
less diarrhoea. The practice of allowing them to gorge themselves 
with potatoes, meat, pastry, dried fruit, and other articles of this 
kind is particularly injurious, and often produces chronic diarrhoea. 
In some instances the mother's or nurse's milk gives rise to vomiting 
and purging. Cold, by suddenly checking perspiration, and deter- 
mining the blood to the internal parts, frequently gives rise to bowel 
complaint in infants. Cold bathing, or washing ; suffering wet dia- 
pers, stockings, &c, to remain too long on the infant; setting it 
down on the grass-plots, floors, steps, &c. ; passing suddenly from a 
close and warm room into the cold external air; exposure to cold 
and moist weather without sufficient clothing, particularly about the 
abdomen ; — these are the ordinary ways in which diarrhoea, from the 
influence of cold, is produced in infants; and cases arising from 
such causes are generally attended with catarrhal symptoms, more 
especially with cough. A high atmospheric temperature is fre- 
quently concerned in the production of this complaint; the occur- 
rence of bowel-complaints among children is comparably more 
frequent during the hot months of summer than in the colder 
seasons of the year. 

Treatment. — Immediate attention must be paid to the diet. Do 
not give the child any solid food, and especially keep from it pastry, 
sweetmeats, and confectionary. The most appropriate food will be 
plain boiled rice and milk ; in many cases simple boiled milk will ar- 
rest the discharges. Crackers and milk, gruel, tapioca, &c, are also 
useful. At the commencement of the attack give a mild purge of 
castor-oil or syrup of rhubarb, and use the warm bath. If the stools 
are sour, dissolve a teaspoonful of bicarbonate of soda in half a glass 
of water, and give a teaspoonful every hour. An excellent remedy 
for looseness of the bowels is tea made of ground bayberry. Sweeten 
it well, and give a half teacupful once in two hours, until the child 
is better. 



384 OUE FAMILY DOCTOR. 

SUMMER COMPLAINT, OR CHOLERA INFANTUM. 

This disease is almost peculiar to children of large cities, and 
is most frequent in those who reside in small, crowded, and ill- 
ventilated apartments. It is rarely seen, except between the ages 
of three and twenty-four months, seldom beginning before or after 
dentition. 

Symptoms. — It usually begins with vomiting and purging about 
the same time, though in some instances, purging may take place a 
day or two before the stomach is materially disturbed. The tongue, 
in most instances, is slightly furred at the beginning of the disease ; 
but, after a few days, it becomes smooth and polished, or dry and 
brown. The stools are commonly thick, frothy, and fluid, intermixed 
with little spots of green bile ; though, at other times, they are as 
transparent as water, having only some flakes of mucus floating 
through them. After a short time, no bilious matter is to be seen in 
the discharges. The patient usually becomes immediately prostrate ; 
and, if not speedily destroyed, it emaciates very rapidly. The vomit 
ing and purging are not always constant, but sometimes occur in 
paroxysms, after intervals of a few hours; and, in some fortunate 
cases, after a duration of five or six hours, they subside entirely. 
There is evident pain, or great uneasiness in the stomach and bowels, 
especially in the commencement. The hands and feet are cold, the 
skin of the body and head is hot and dry, and becomes shrivelled or 
wilted. The eyes lose their lustre, the eyelids but half cover them, 
the nose becomes pointed, the skin contracted upon it, while the lips 
are thin and shrivelled. In this condition the child lies upon the 
lap, or upon the pillow, apparently exhausted and indisposed to 
move, except when impelled to vomit, or cry for cold water, — the only 
thing which it is willing to take, — and this is often either thrown up 
instantly from the stomach, or suddenly passed off by the bowels. 
From this state it frequently sinks into stupor and insensibility, and 
often dies in convulsions. If the disease do not thus speedily destroy 
life, the stools assume a dark, offensive, and highly irritating charac - 
ter ; the mouth becomes sore, covered over with white fur or super- 
ficial ulcers ; the face bloated, the abdomen distended with flatulence, 
and when the system is greatly reduced, the skin is sometimes stud- 
ded with spots of blood effused beneath the cuticle, or there may be 
some watery blisters scattered about the chest and other parts. The 
treatment of this very fatal disease is very complex and difficult. 



CHILDREN AND THEIR DISEASES. 385 

Fortunately, it is rare, except in large cities, where medical advice 
is at hand, and yields, or becomes mild, almost immediately on a 
removal to a cool country situation. 

Treatment. — On the first appearance of the disease, if possible, 
take the child to the open air of a farm or small village. A well- 
ventilated apartment in the upper story of a house, if not too much 
heated by the roof, will give children a much better chance of life, 
with or without treatment, than the ground floor. Let the child 
remain day and night in such a room. We have frequently seen 
the disease in the country, and found it very fatal ; but only in resi- 
dences where uncleanly habits have produced an artificial hot climate 
and the foul air natural to an alley in the midst of the free atmos- 
phere of healthful districts. 

For the prevention of this disease, we would earnestly press upon 
those mothers who reside in large compact towns, and in the lanes 
and alleys where the affection most prevails, to keep their houses 
clean and well aired; to wash the whole bodies of their children 
daily, or more frequently, with clean, tepid, or cool water, changing 
their dress sufficiently often to keep them cleanly clad; to abstain 
from the use of unripe or unwholesome fruit themselves, and by all 
means, to prevent their children from eating it. Let their infants be 
supplied, as far as possible, from their own breasts, and if they do 
not supply sufficient nourishment, let the balance be made up with 
pure cow's milk, either alone or moderately diluted with soft water. 
When any teeth make their appearance, or the gums appear swelled, 
and the child is fretful, let the gums be carefully and freely lanced ; 
and if there be any eruption on the skin, or behind the ears, let no 
applications be made to them, except for the simple purpose of keep- 
ing them clean, without suddenly drying them up. If they should 
heal rather suddenly, and the child become restless or feverish, let 
a little blister ointment be rubbed behind the ears, till a discharge 
is produced, carefully keeping the blisters open, by dressing them 
with a little basilicon or savin ointment. Let the child wear flannel 
next its skin, and worsted stockings on its feet, even during the sum- 
mer season ; and when it has passed beyond its first year, let the 
diet be regulated strictly on the principles laid down under the 
head of weaning. In addition, give it gum-water, or rennet-whey, 
with a little gum arabic added to it. These measures, if promptly 
adopted, will often cure the disease without medicines. If vomiting 
is severe, give this mixture : camphor, one drachm ; sulphuric ether, 



386 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

one ounce; mix, and give ten drops every half hour. If this fails, 
give the following: — 

Sugar of Lead, 5 grains. 

Vinegar, 6 drops. 

Loaf Sugar, 3 drachms. 

Soft Water, 1 ounce. 

Mix. Dose, a teaspoonful every hour. When the vomiting has 
stopped, give the compound syrup of rhubarb and potassia, which 
will usually arrest the discharges. If the stools are sour, dark-colored, 
and disagreeable, give the following: — 

Pulverized Charcoal, l£ drachms. 

Pulverized Rhubarb, 2 scruples. 

Pulverized Ipecac, 6 grains. 

Extract of Hyoscyamus, 12 grains. 

Mix, and divide into twelve portions. Dose, one in every three 
or four hours. 

The following has also been found very useful : — 

Pulverized Rhubarb, 1 scruple. 

Leptandrin, 10 grains. 

Calcined Magnesia, 2 scruples. 

Pulverized Cinnamon, 10 grains. 

Mix. Dose, three or four grains every third hour, to a child of 
six months. 

WORMS. 

Worms often are present in early life, without any indication of 
disease, caused mostly by dietic errors. 

Treatment. — An injection composed of a teaspoonful of spirits of 
turpentine mixed in a gill of milk, is very useful ; or give ten grains 
of powder of pink-root night and morning. Flour of sulphur taken 
in the morning before breakfast has been recommended. For fur- 
ther treatment, see article on Worms (p. 234). 

SORE EYES {Purulent Ophthalmia). 

The purulent ophthalmia of infants generally commences between 
the fourth and eighth day after birth. At first, the eyelids appear 
glued together, and this symptom is attended, in the morning, with 
slight swelling and external redness. As the disease proceeds, the 
swelling of the eyelids increases, and a thick purulent matter begins 



CHILDREN AND THEIR DISEASES. 387 

to issue from the eyes; the child, at the same time, becomes very 
fretful and uneasy, and keeps its eyes constantly and firmly closed. 
When the inflammation is confined to the eyelids, the disease seldom 
occasions any serious injury to the eye. The exciting cause of this 
disease, thus early appearing, is, in most cases, some acrid or morbid 
secretion in the womb of the mother which has come in contact with 
the infant's eyes during its passage from the womb into external life. 
But, it may be proper here to caution nurses against the practice — 
too prevalent — of taking the infant, as soon as born, before a blazing 
fire, with perhaps a candle at no great distance, and keeping it in 
this position with its tender visual organs exposed to the action of 
so much heat and light. The best way to secure the infant's eyes 
against the effects of any morbific matter which it has come in con- 
tact with in the womb, is to wash them in the most careful manner 
after birth. This should be done with tepid water, which should be 
frequently changed and freely applied, so as to insure the entire 
removal of any irritating matter that may adhere to them. In all 
instances, too, care should be taken not to expose the infant's eyes 
too suddenly and immediately to any strong light; for, although 
this may not of itself be capable of exciting the disease, yet there 
can be no doubt of its tendency to irritate the eyes. 

Treatment. — Immediate attention must be given to this disease. 
If neglected in its early stages, the eye may be permanently injured, 
or perhaps destroyed. Keep the eyes clean with washes of flaxseed 
tea or lukewarm water. To prevent the eyelids adhering, rub a 
little glycerine, or rosewater ointment, along the edge of the lids. 
If the cornea be implicated in the least, drop into the eye a drop or 
two of this mixture: atropia, one grain; tincture of gelsemimum, 
thirty drops. If the child's health be impaired, it must be sustained 
by nourishing diet, cod-liver oil, and salt-water bathing ; and apply 
friction to the skin. The bowels must be kept open with a little 
magnesia or castor-oil. 

CROUP. 

This is an inflammation $ the larynx and trachea, causing a diffi- 
culty of breathing, and a rough hoarse cough, with a sonorous inspir- 
ation of a very peculiar character, sounding as if the air was passing 
through a metallic tube. It most usually attacks children of from 
one to three years of age, to whom it sometimes proves fatal; very 
rarely are adults affected by it. 



388 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

Symptoms. — The symptoms are merely those of a common cold, or 
catarrh; then comes on a dry cough, with hoarseness and wheezing; 
at night there is restlessness and rattling in the throat, after which 
the croupy crow and sound above spoken of gives unmistakable 
warning of the disease, which goes on increasing in intensity for a 
day or two, or perhaps several days, before there is a really alarming 
paroxysm, which mostly occurs about midnight. The child, after 
tossing restlessly about, endeavoring in vain to sleep, will start up 
with a flushed face, protruding eyeballs, and a distressing look of 
terror and anxiety ; there is a quick vibrating pulse, and agitation of 
the whole frame, which presently becomes covered with a profuse 
perspiration. As the struggle for breath proceeds, there is clutching 
of the throat, as though to force a passage; the arms are thrown 
wildly about, the respiration becomes more labored, the rough cough 
more frequent, and the characteristic croup rings out like an alarm. 
There is expectoration of viscid matter, but so difficult is it to be got 
rid of, that the efforts appear to threaten strangulation; gradually 
the symptoms become weaker, and eventually the child falls into the 
sleep of exhaustion. It will probably wake up refreshed, and during 
the day may appear pretty well ; but at night again, probably there 
will be a recurrence of the attack with aggravated symptoms, convul- 
sions, spasms of the glottis, causing the head to be violently thrown 
back, in the effort to obtain a passage for the air through the wind- 
pipe ; there is a fluttering motion in the nostrils, the face is puffed 
and of a pale leaden hue ; a film comes over the sunken eyes, the 
pulse becomes feeble and irregular ; there are more gasping convul- 
sive efforts to continue the struggle, but in vain ; the powers of life at 
length succumb, and the patient sinks into a drowsy stupor, which 
ends in death. Such is the frequent course of this painful disease, 
and the changes from bad to worse are so rapid that there is little 
time for the operation of remedies, that is when paroxysms have 
begun. 

Treatment. — Confinement to the house in case of threatened croup 
is always advisable, unless the weather should be very warm and 
open, and then exposure after sundown should be avoided; a dose 
of calomel (about three grains) should be administered, and followed 
by nauseating doses of tartarized antimony, of which one grain dis- 
solved in an ounce of warm water, and a teaspoonful of the solution 
given every quarter of an hour, until the effect is produced. Should 
the bowels be confined after this, give senna mixture, or scammony 



CHILDREN AND THEIE DISEASES. 389 

powder. Apply mustard and bran or flaxseed poultices to the throat. 
Fill the room with the vapor of boiling water, — a large kettle on the 
stove will effect this. Leeches, if the patient is of full habit and 
the breathing is very labored, and a spare diet, are the other reme- 
dial measures. 

In the paroxysms, the most prompt and vigorous measures must 
be adopted to give any chance of success : bleeding in such quantity 
as to diminish the vascular action on the surface of the windpipe, 
and to relax the muscles; strong emetics to cause full vomiting, 
which often has a most beneficial effect; warm baths, and blisters 
applied from one ear to the other. Calomel combined with ipecac- 
uanha powder, or tartar emetic, should be given every four hours 
or so ; and, if the danger is extreme, counter irritation by means of 
mustard poultices applied to the calves of the legs, &c. In leeching 
for croup, one leech for each year of the child's age is the general 
rule to be observed, and the best part is over the breast-bone, where 
pressure can be applied to stop the bleeding, if required; over the 
leech-bites apply a blister, should one appear necessary. If the above 
powders should cause too -violent an action on the bowels, add to 
them a little chalk and opium. Should the child appear likely to 
sink from exhaustion, after vomiting has been produced, stay the 
emetics, and give liquor of acetate of ammonia twenty drops, with 
five or ten drops of sal volatile, or the same of brandy in a little water, 
or camphor mixture ; a little white-wine whey may also be adminis- 
tered. Of course, the first endeavor in an attack of croup should be 
to obtain medical assistance ; but if this can not be procured, there 
must be no temporizing : resort at once to the remedies most ready to 
the hand, using them according to the best knowledge and discretion 
available. Let the contagious nature of croup be ever borne in mind, 
and especial care taken to keep apart those affected with it from any 
other children in the family or house. Let it also be remembered 
that the great agents in producing croup are cold and moisture ; 
and the greatest of all the east wind, and that those who have 
once been attacked by it are peculiarly liable to a recurrence of 
such attack. 

Croup is most likely to be fatal when inflammation commences in 
the fauces ; and this, if discovered in time, may be stopped by the 
application of a solution of nitrate of silver to the whole surface 
within sight, and to the larynx. 



390 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

SPASM OF THE GLOTTIS, OR CHILD-CROWING. 

This exhibits much the same symptoms as the croup. It is not, 
however, of an inflammatory character, but is symptomatic of some 
other disease commonly coming on as a result of irritation caused 
by hydrocephalus, teething, worms, &c. The medical man only can 
judge of the probable cause, and he will use such remedies as are 
most applicable to the peculiarity of each case. 

Treatment. — The following mode of treatment recommended by 
Dr. Leman, of Torzan, has, we believe, been found efficacious in many 
cases of croup. It is simple and easy of application. We give the 
details as furnished by Dr. Graves: "A sponge, about the size of a 
large fist, dipped in water as hot as the hand can bear, must be 
gently squeezed half dry, and instantly applied under the little suf- 
ferer's chin over the larynx and windpipe: when the sponge has 
been thus held for a few minutes in contact with the skin, its temper- 
ature begins to sink; a second sponge, heated in the same way, 
should be used alternately with the first. A perseverance in this 
plan during ten or twenty minutes, produces a vivid redness over 
the whole front of the throat, just as if a strong sinapism had been 
applied ; this redness must not be attended or followed by vesication. 
In the mean time the whole system feels the influence of the topical 
treatment; a warm perspiration breaks out, which should be well 
encouraged by warm drinks, -such as whey, weak tea, &c, and a notable 
diminution takes place in the frequency and time of the cough, while 
the hoarseness almost disappears, and the rough ringing sound of 
the voice subsides, along with the difficulty of breathing and rest- 
lessness; in short, all danger is over, and the little patient again 
falls asleep, and awakes in the morning without any appearance of 
having suffered from so dangerous an attack. I have repeatedly 
treated the disease on this plan, and with the most uniform success. 
It is, however, only applicable to the very onset of the disease ; but 
it has the advantage of being simple, efficient, and easily put in prac- 
tice, and its effects are not productive of the least injury to the con- 
stitution." 

SNUFFLES, OR COLD IN THE HEAD. 

Children are very liable to this distressing complaint, caused by 
inflammation of the lining of the nose. 

Treatment. — Kubbing the nose with goose-grease, lard, or tallow, 
will generally give relief. Keep the bowels open with a little castor- 



^— 



CHILDREN AND THEIR DISEASES. 391 

oil; and, if the stoppage in the nose is obstinate, give warm doses 
of catnip, penny-royal, or balm tea. 

HOOPING-COUGH. 

This well-known disease is chiefly but not wholly confined to the 
stages of infancy, and it occurs but once in a lifetime. It may be 
described as spasmodic catarrh, and its severity varies greatly; some- 
times being so mild as to be scarcely known from a common cough, 
at others exhibiting the most distressing symptoms, and frequently 
causing death by its violent and exhausting paroxysms. 

Symptoms. — The first symptoms of this cough are those of a com 
mon cold; there is probably restlessness and slight fever, with irri- 
tation in the bronchial passages ; this goes on gradually increasing 
in intensity for a week or ten days, and then it begins to assume the 
spasmodic character. At first the paroxysms are slight, and of short 
duration, with a scarcely perceptible "hoop," but soon they become 
more frequent and severe ; a succession of violent expulsive coughs 
is followed by a long-drawn inspiration, in the course of which the 
peculiar sound which gives a name to the disease is emitted; again 
comes the coughs, and again the inspiration, following each other 
in quick succession, until the sufferer, whose starting eyes, livid face, 
swollen veins, and clutching hands, attest the violence of the struggle 
for breath, is relieved by an expectoration of phlegm resembling the 
white of an egg, or by vomiting. When the paroxysm is over, the 
child generally resumes its play, or other occupation, and frequently 
complains of being hungry. As the disease proceeds, the matter 
expectorated becomes thicker, and is more easily got rid of, and this 
is a sign of favorable progress; the spasmodic paroxysms become 
less frequent and violent, and gradually cease altogether ; but the 
changes here indicated may extend over a month or six months, 
according to circumstances, the season of the year having much 
influence in hastening or retarding them, — summer being, of course, 
the most favorable time. It is a common impression that, at what- 
ever time of year an attack of hooping-cough commences, it will 
not end until May ; this is simply because of the change in the weath- 
er which generally takes place in or about the course of this month. 
With a strong healthy child (when proper care is taken), there is 
little to apprehend from this disease, provided it be not complicated 
with others, such as inflammation of the lungs, or any head affection 
producing convulsions; it then proves a most dangerous malady, 



392 * OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

and is fatal to many. "With children of full habit, the fits of cough- 
ing often cause bleeding at the nose, but this should not be viewed 
with alarm, as it relieves the vessels of the brain, and is likely to 
prevent worse consequences. 

To weakly children hooping-cough is a very serious malady, — £o 
all it is frequently a sore trial, but to them it is especially so ; there- 
fore, great care should be taken not to expose them to the danger 
of catching it. That it is contagious there can be no doubt ; and, 
although some parents think lightly of it, imagining that their chil- 
dren must have it at one time or another, deem that it matters little 
when, and therefore take no pains to protect them against it; yet 
we would impress upon all our readers who may have the care of 
infants, that a heavy responsibility lies at their door. It is by no 
means certain that a child will have this disease ; we have known 
many persons who have reached a good old age, and never contracted 
it ; and it is folly and wickedness needlessly to expose those placed 
under our care to certain danger. 

Like fever, hooping-cough has a course to run, which no remedies 
with which we are at present acquainted, will shorten. The severity 
of the symptoms may be somewhat mitigated, and we may, by watch- 
ing the course of the disease, and by use of proper means, often pre- 
vent those complications which render it dangerous ; and this brings 
us to the consideration of the proper mode of 

Treatment. — The first efforts should be directed to check any ten- 
dency to inflammation which may show itself; to palliate urgent 
symptoms, and stop the spasm which is the most distressing feature 
of the case. To this end, the diet must be of the simplest kind, con- 
sisting for the most part of milk and farinaceous puddings ; if animal 
food, it must not be solid, but in the form of broth or beef-tea ; roast- 
ed apples are good; and for drinks, milk and water, barley-water, 
weak tea, or whey. Care must be taken to keep the bowels open 
with some gentle aperient, such as rhubarb and magnesia. An emetic 
should be given about twice a week to get rid of the phlegm — it 
may be ipecacuanha wine or the powder. To relieve the cough, the 
following mixture will be found effective : — 

Ipecacuanha Powder, 10 grains. 

Bicarbonate of Potash, 1 drachm. 

Liquor of Acetate of Ammonia, 2 ounces. 

Essence of Cinnamon, 8 drops. 

Water, 6| ounces. 



CH1LDKEN AND THEIK DISEASES. 393 

Dose, a tablespoonful about every four hours. Twenty drops of 
laudanum, or one drachm of tincture of henbane may be added if the 
cough is very troublesome, but the former is objectionable if the 
brain is at all affected. 

For night restlessness, two or three grains of Dover's powders 
taken at bedtime, is good; this is a dose for a child of three years 
old. Mustard poultices to the throat, the chest, and between th.e 
shoulders, are often found beneficial; so is an opiate liniment com- 
posed of compound camphor and soap liniment, of each six drachms 
and four drachms of laudanum. "Roche's Embrocation" is a favorite 
application, and a very good one; it is composed as follows: — oil of 
amber, and of cloves, of each one half ounce; oil of olives, one oance; 
a little laudanum is, perhaps, an improvement. This may be rubbed 
on the belly when it is sore from coughing. Difficulty of breathing 
may be sometimes relieved by the vapor of ether or turpentine diffus- 
ed through the apartment. In the latter stages of the disease, tonics 
are generally advisable. Steel wine, about thirty drops, with two 
grains of sesquicarbonate of ammonia, and five drops of tincture of 
conium, in a tablespoonful of cinnamon water, sweetened with syrup, 
is a good form ; but a change of air, with a return to a generous 
diet, are the most effectual means of restoration to health and 
strength. 

CONVULSIONS, FITS, SPASMS. 

Fits are cerebral, and arise from diseases within the head, or from 
irritation in the stomach and bowels, or from exhaustion ; or they 
are evidence of, and depend on, some malformation or disease of the 
heart. 

Treatment. — Domestic treatment should never be trusted in such 
terrific affections as these. Not a moment should be lost in sending 
x for the medical man 

If anything may be done in the meantime, it is, — first, in either of 
the two former cases, to lance the gums; second, to evacuate the 
bowels by warm-water injection, made more active by the addition 
of brown sugar; third, and to administer the warm bath. An impor- 
tant point, never to be forgotten in the hurry of these cases is to 
reserve the evacuations for inspection, otherwise the physician will 
be deprived of a very important source of judgment. 

In cases of fits arising plainly from exhaustion, there need be no 
hesitation in giving five drops of sal volatile in water ; light nourish- 



394 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

ment may be added ; the feet must be fomented, and the recumbent 
posture preserved. In fits arising from an affection of the heart, the 
symptom is urgent difficulty of breathing; the child seems as if it 
would lose its breath and expire. In such a case, to do nothing is 
the best course; all self-possession must be summoned, and the 
infant kept perfectly quiet. Every change of posture, every effort, 
is attended with danger. 

In all cases, it is well to clear the bowels by means of the slow 
injection of from a quarter to half a pint of warm water, with or 
without brown sugar ; indeed, this the most generally and promptly 
useful of all our remedies in infantile diseases. To this the warm 
bath may always be added, if administered with due caution: it 
should not be continued so as to induce much flushing or paleness 
of the countenance. 

FALLING OF THE FUNDAMENT. 

Prolapsus of the lower gut at the fundament most frequently oc- 
curs with children and aged persons, although it does occur at all 
ages, and commonly in connection with piles, irritation from worms, 
or stone in the bladder; much straining at motions of the bowels 
will also occasion it. F IG 97< 

Treatment. — The gut may generally be returned without 
difficulty, by means of gentle pressure with the fingers, cov- 
ered with a piece of greased rag. If allowed to remain down 
long, it will become swollen with congested blood, and re- 
quire the aid of a physician. Children so affected should 
have their bowels kept in a lax state with gentle aperients, 
and they should not be suffered to remain long on the stool ; 
The loins should also be bathed with cold water; and an 
enema, consisting of a grain of sulphate of iron, dissolved in 
an ounce of rain-water, should be thrown into the bowels 
after each motion. 

For this kind of prolapsus a pessary is seldom necessary, but a 
bandage like Fig. 97 may be used with advantage. Here we have a 
centre-piece, tolerably broad, to which is attached an oval pad of 
some smooth hard material ; a back-strap passes up, and fastens to 
a belt round the body ; and another strap, in two divisions, goes up 
the front, and also fastens to the belt. This, if properly managed, 
will exert all the pressure necessary to keep the gut from protruding. 




ACCIDENTS AND EMERGENCIES. 



395 



PART IV. 



Accidents and Emergencies. 



HOUSEHOLD SURGERY. 



HOW TO BANDAGE. 

There is not a more important art connected with household sur- 
gery than that of bandaging. To do it well requires much practice 
and no little judgment. The material employed in bandaging is 
usually stout unbleached cotton, from two or three to nine or ten 
inches wide, and from six to twelve Fig. 98. 

yards long : the former length and 
breadth will do best for the leg. 
If commenced at the ball of the 
foot, and evenly applied so that 
each fold overlaps the other about 
one third, it will reach to the knee. 
Fig. 98 will best show the mode of 
application. The bandage having 
been first tightly rolled up, is taken in the right hand of the operator; 
the end is passed under the foot, and held there by the left hand 
until it is secured by one turn of the bandage over it ; an upward 
direction is then taken, so that a couple of folds brings the bandage 
up to the front of the leg, over the instep ; the next turn will natu- 
rally pass above the heel behind ; and then, if proper care be ob- 
served, it will go on fold above fold, each overlapping the other 
slightly, all up the leg. The bandage is passed from the right to 
the left hand each time it goes round the leg, and great care should 
be taken to hold it firmly, and equalize the pressure, as well as to 
smooth out any wrinkles that may occur in the process of binding. 




396 



OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 



Fig. 99. 




A firm and even support is thus afforded to the limb, which is not 
likely to crease, or get displaced by the motion which may be after- 
wards necessary; it may be made fast above the calf by a couple of 
pins, or a needle and thread. Great care should be taken in this, as 
in all similar operations, to get the bandage rolled up tightly and 
smoothly, before commencing ; it may thus be grasped in the hand, 
and kept well under the command of the operator, who should on 
no account let go his hold of the bandage, so as to relax the 
pressure. 

The arm does not require so long 
or broad a bandage as the leg ; about 
two inches, by three or four yards, 
being the average size: this limb is 
rather more difficult to manage, half 
turns being necessary to effect a 
proper envelopment. How this is 
effected may be seen by Fig. 99. 
The bandage is folded back upon 
itself, so as to take a different direc- 
tion, and cover the space which would be left exposed by the ordi- 
nary method of folding ; these half turns, unless they are done tightly 
and evenly, will be apt to slip and derange the whole binding. 
Some operators avoid half turns, by letting the roller take its 
natural course, and then coming back to cover the exposed parts; 
but this method, besides requiring a larger bandage, does not effect 
the required purpose so neatly and efficiently. One mode of fasten- 
ing a bandage is to split it up a short distance, so as to leave two 
ends, which can be passed round the limb, and tied. It should 
always be borne in mind that the chief art in applying bandages is 
to give firm and uniform support, without undue pressure upon any 
Fig. 100. part; and to effect this properly, 

the strain in winding should be 
upon the whole roll held in the 
hand, and not upon the unrolled 
portion of it. This strain should 
not be relaxed during the progress 
of the operation. 

Fig. 100 represents the mode of 
applying what is called a many-tailed bandage, — useful to apply 
over a wound, or wherever it requires frequent changing, or in cases 




ACCIDENTS AND EMEEGENCIES. 



397 



Fig. 101. 



in which it is desirable not to exhaust the patient by much move- 
ment of the limb. This is a strip of cotton somewhat longer than 
the limb to be enveloped: on it are sewn, at right angles, other 
strips, about one half longer than the circumference of the limb, 
each overlapping the other about one third of its breadth, so that 
when drawn tightly over in regular succession, each secures the 
other. The end of the strip passes under the heel, and coming up 
on the other side, is made fast to the bandage there, and so all is 
kept firm. 

For keeping poultices on the lower 
part of the back, or in the groin, a cross 
bandage is used, the fashion of which 
is this: make a cotton band, large 
enough to pass round the loins, and 
tie a buckle in front ; to this is attached 
another piece, which proceeds from the 
centre of the back to the anus, where 
it divides into two, which pass under 
the thighs, up on either side, and are 
fastened to the band in front. The 
bandage used to close a vein after 
bleeding is made thus: lay the tape 
obliquely across the wound, pass it 
round the arm above the elbow, and bring it back again over the 
same spot ; then let it go round the arm below the elbow, and re- 
turning, let the two ends be tied in a secure bow, in the bend of the 
arm, with the free movement of which the bandage should not be 
tight enough to interfere, although it must be sufficiently so to retain 
its position. This mode of bandaging is called the figure of 8, from 
its resemblance to that figure. Fig. 101 will probable make our 
explanation clearer. 

For a sprained ankle, place the end of the bandage upon the 
instep, then carry it round, and bring it over the same part again, 
and from thence round the foot two or three times, finishing off with 
a turn or two round the leg above the ankle. 

For a sprained wrist, begin by passing the bandage round the 
hand, across and across, like the figure 8; exclude the thumb, and 
finish with a turn or two round the wrist. 

For a cut finger, pass the bandage (a narrow one) round the finger 
several times, winding from the top, and splitting the end ; fasten by 




398 



OUR FAMILY DOCTOR 



tying round the thick part above the cut; or, if it be high up, tie 
round the wrist. 

The best bandage for the eyes is an old silk handkerchief passed 
over the forehead, and tied at the back of the head. For the head 
itself, it is best to have a cross-bandage, or rather two bandages, — 
one passing across the forehead, and round the back of the head, 



Fig. 102. 



Fig. 103. 





and the other over the top of the head, and below the chin, as in 
Fig. 102. Or, better than this is, perhaps, a large handkerchief 
which will extend all over the forehead and crown, two ends of it 
passing to the back, and after crossing from thence round the neck, 
then tying the other two beneath the chin, as in Fig. 103. 

Fig. 104. For a bandage to support a pad 

or poultice under the arm-pit, a 
handkerchief may be used, put on 
as in Fig. 104; or a broad piece of 
cotton, arranged in the same way. 
For fracture of the ribs, ban- 
dages should be about nine inches 
wide, and drawn round the body 
very tightly. In this case, as in 
that of any other fracture or dis- 
location, only a properly qualified person should attempt their 
application. See articles on Dislocations and Fractures. 

We have not yet spoken of the T bandage, which is simply a broad 
band to pass round the body or elsewhere, having attached to it one 





ACCIDENTS AND EMEEGENCIES. 399 

of the same width, or narrower, like the upright part of the letter 
after which it is named; or, there may be two stems — if they can be 
so called — in which case it is a double T bandage, as in Fig. 105. 

Starch bandages are those in which F lftF , 

the roller, before it is put on, is satu- 
rated in a strong solution of starch. 
Sometimes a covering of brown paper 
is put over this, and another dry ban- 
dage is applied. This makes a firm 
and compact case for the limb. It is 
useful in cases of fracture, especially if 
the patient has to be removed to a distance. Sometimes, when it is 
not desirable to make the covering so thick and durable, the dis- 
placement of the banciages is guarded against by brushing a weak 
solution of starch or gum over the folds. 

Bandaging should be performed, in nearly all cases, from the ex- 
tremities upwards, or inwards to the heart, except where the injury 
is situated above the seat of vital action. If they give much pain, 
there is reason to suspect inflammatory swelling beneath ; and they 
should be loosened, if moistening with cold water does not relieve 
the pain. Flannel for bandages is used where warmth as well as 
support is required. 

BURNS AND SCALDS. 

There are no more frequent, distressing, and dangerous accidents, 
than those which result in the above. They cause great pain, often 
amounting to agony; local injuries of a most serious character, and 
permanent constitutional derangement, even if death does not im- 
mediately or quickly ensue. The first rule to be observed in the 
event of the clothes catching fire, is to avoid running away for assist- 
ance, as the motion will only fan the flame, and increase the evil. 
Presence of mind in the sufferer is rare on such an occasion, but the 
best plan is to lie down and roll on the floor, — screaming, of course, 
for assistance. Whoever answers the call should snatch up a rug, 
or piece of carpet, or other woollen article, and completely envelope 
the person in it. This will be sure to extinguish the flame. Then 
cut the clothing away from the burnt parts, taking care to use no 
violence where it adheres, nor to break any blisters which may be 
raised. The great object is now to exclude the air from the blistered 
or raw surfaces, and it is a usual plan to cover them with flour, and 



400 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

then wrap them in wadding, or cotton-wool. A good application is 
either of the above substances saturated in lime-water and linseed- 
oil, equal parts mixed; this is extremely cool and soothing, and it 
greatly assists the healing operation. It should not be disturbed for 
some days, unless the discharge should be great, and the wounds 
painful, in which case a fresh application of the same should be pre- 
pared, and put on immediately on the removal of the other. The 
wadding or cotton-wool covering is sometimes applied quite dry, 
with good effect ; and where the tissues are not deeply or extensively 
injured, a lotion composed of an ounce and a half of vinegar to a 
pint of water is a good application, as is also a saturated solution 
of carbonate of soda. The flour dredging is that which is the most 
readily available, and it is as good as any. It should be applied 
immediately, and repeated as often as moisture is perceived issuing 
through the crust which it forms over the burnt parts ; if these have 
fresh sweet oil brushed over them with a feather, previous to the 
application of the flour, it will adhere better. 

That which is most to be apprehended in severe burns is the great 
constitutional depression which often follows the excitement and 
severe pain ; especially is this the case with children, and when the 
seat of this injury is the chest or abdomen, or other vital part. 
Hence the effects should be closely watched, and stimulants adminis- 
tered, if there are such symptoms as shivering, pallor of the counte- 
nance, sinking of the pulse, or coldness of the extremities. Ammonia, 
wine, or spirits, must then be given in doses sufficient to rouse the 
failing powers, without too much exciting the brain. If there is 
excessive pain, a slight opiate should be administered to allay the 
irritation of the nervous system, which, however, frequently receives 
so severe a shock as to lose its sensibility for a time ; and when this 
is the case there is great reason to apprehend a fatal result. A burn, 
if properly treated, and unless very severe, will generally do well, 
and require little after dressing; but if the blisters are suffered to 
break, and the true skin beneath becomes inflamed by exposure, 
matter will be secreted, and troublesome ulcerations formed. Bread- 
and-water poulticing will be the best treatment in this case, with 
Goulard lotion, if there is much inflammation, or an ointment com- 
posed of extract of Goulard, one drachm, mixed with one ounce of 
fresh lard. This should be applied spread on soft linen. 

When the burn is deep, after the flour has been on for some days, 
poultices as above should be applied until the coating of flour all 



ACCIDENTS AND EMEKGENCIES. 401 

comes away, and the wound looks clean and clear; after which, the 
simple water dressing will be best, and when nearly healed, the 
Goulard ointment as above. 

When parts immediately contiguous are involved in the burn, care 
must be taken to interpose dressings, or they may become perma- 
nently united. 

After the more immediate constitutional effects of a severe burn 
have passed off, it will be necessary to be careful as to the patient's 
diet, which should be sufficiently nourishing and stimulative, espe- 
cially while discharge is going on, — taking care, however, to reduce 
it if febrile symptoms should set in. So constantly are these painful 
accidents occurring, and so frequently does it happen that the care of 
a medical man can not be obtained for them, that it behoves all heads 
of families to make themselves acquainted with the best remedial 
measures. It should be borne in mind that the principal aims in the 
treatment of such cases are, first, the protection of the injured parts 
from atmospheric influence ; secondly, to keep down inflammatory 
action, both local and constitutional ; thirdly, to soothe the nervous 
irritation which may arise, and to sustain the system should too 
great depression take place. 

BRUISES. 

The main thing to be attended to in treating a bruise, is to pre- 
vent inflammation coming on. Apply constantly to the part equal 
portions of Goulard-water and vinegar, or spirits and water. Or, 
bathe the part in warm water, and afterwards rub it gently with 
cold vinegar and water once every hour or so for a few days. Bruises 
are also well treated by the following lotion : tincture of arnica, one 
part ; water, eight parts ; apply with a cloth. Pouring cold water 
from a height two or three times a day on the bruise is very good. 

APPARENT DEATH FROM DROWNING. 

The following plan of treating a drowned person was proposed 
by the late Dr. Marshall Hall:— 

1. Treat the patient instantly, on the spot, in the open air, except 
in severe weather, freely exposing the face, neck, and chest, to the 
breeze. 

2. Send with all speed for medical aid, and for articles of clothing, 
blankets, &c. 



402 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR 

3. Place the patient gently on the face, with one arm under the 
forehead, so that any fluids may flow from the throat and month; 
and, without loss of time, — 

I. To excite respiration ; 

4. Turn the patient on his side, and (a) apply snuff or other irri- 
tant to the nostrils; (b) dash cold water on the face, previously 
rubbed briskly until it is warm. If there be no success, again lose 
no time, but, — 

II. To imitate respiration: 

5. Replace the patient on his face (when the tongue will then fall 
forward, and leave the entrance into the windpipe free); then, — 

6. Turn the body gently, but completely, on the side and a little 
beyond (when mspiration will occur), and then on the face, making 
gentle pressure along the back, when expiration will take place, al- 
ternately. These measures must be repeated deliberately, efficiently, 
and perseveringly, fifteen times in the minute only. Meanwhile, — 

III. To induce circulation and warmth, continuing these mea- 
sures, — 

7. Rub the limbs upwards with firm pressure and with energy, 
using handkerchiefs, &c, for towels. 

8. Replace the patient's wet clothing by such other covering as 
can be instantly procured, each bystander supplying a coat, waist- 
coat, &c. 

Returning life is first usually discoverable by the symptoms of 
sighing, gasping, slight palpitation or pulsation of the heart. The 
efforts to restore life should then be redoubled, for the feeble spark 
still requires to be solicited and nourished into a flame, and it has 
often gone out from a relaxation of labor. A spoonful or two of 
warm wine, or warm wine and water, should be introduced into the 
mouth, as soon as the power of swallowing is sufficiently restored, 
which should be shortly succeeded by light, warm, and nourishing 
food of any kind, with gentle laxative clysters, a well-heated bed, 
and perfect tranquillity. 

APPARENT DEATH FROM LIGHTNING. 

When a person is struck by lightning strip the body and throw 
buckets of cold water over it from ten to fifteen minutes ; inflate the 
lungs, as described in the directions respecting drowning, and apply 
continual frictions all over the body; apply also blisters to the 
breast, and administer stimulants, as brandy and sal-volatile. In 



ACCIDENTS AND EMERGENCIES. 403 

this case, nothing answers so well as electricity, and if a skillful 
person can be procured to administer them, gentle shocks should 
be made to pass through the chest, until returning life manifests 
itself. 

As trees, haystacks, and other elevated objects serve to conduct 
lightning rather than ward it off, a person overtaken by a thunder- 
storm should never seek shelter near these ; it is much better to get 
wet to the skin than expose one's self to this danger. It is also dan- 
gerous to stand near leaden spouts, iron gates, or pallisades, at such 
times, — metals at all times having so strong a conducting power for 
lightning as frequently to lead it out of the course which it would 
otherwise have taken. When in the house, avoid sitting or standing 
near a window or door ; the nearer you are placed towards the cen- 
tre of the room the better. 

APPARENT DEATH FROM EXPOSURE TO NOXIOUS VAPORS. 

Let the body be placed in the open air ; dash cold water over the 
face, head, neck, and breast frequently, and let warmth be gradually 
applied. If necessary, let the lungs be inflated according to the 
directions laid down in the article on drowning. 

APPARENT DEATH FROM COLD. 

Let the body of the person be rubbed with snow, ice, or cold water, 
and after a while let heat be applied in the most gentle manner; 
then, if necessary, the means for restoring suspended animation from 
drowning may be resorted to. Nothing can be more pernicious than 
applying heat, either internally or externally, in the first stage. 

APPARENT DEATH FROM HANGING OR STRANGLING. 

Remove the tie or neck-cloth from the neck, place the body in the 
open air, expose the chest, and open a vein in the arm as soon as 
possible. If necessary, resort to the means recommended in restor- 
ing suspended animation from drowning. 

In hanging, cut the body down, dash cold water upon it, open a 
vein, and apply stimulants liberally externally. 

APPARENT DEATH FROM A. BLOW OR FALL. 

Stunning, or insensibility, is usually caused by a blow on the 
head. It may be of greater or less severity, and requires prompt 
relief. 



404 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

Treatment. — Place the sufferer in a recumbent position, with the 
head raised. Dash cold water from the hand over the face, or 
place a wetted handkerchief on the forehead ; apply warmth to the 
feet and legs, and hartshorn or smelling-salts to the nostrils. 
Keep the patient quiet, and recovery partially or wholly will soon 
ensue. 

APPARENT DEATH FROM HUNGER. 

Great caution must be used in administering food. If fed too 
freely, a fatal result is probable. Injections of small quantities of 
milk, mutton- broth, or beef-tea, may be used. When the patient can 
swallow, give drop by drop of warm milk, and increase the quantity 
till he can take a teaspoonful, when a few drops of brandy may be 
added. Small quantities of nourishment may be given every ten or 
fifteen minutes. 

ABRASION OF THE SKIN. 

This is a wound of the skin caused by friction. 

Treatment. — Remove any sand or dirt from the part by bathing 
it in warm water ; then apply spirits and water to it till the pain is 
somewhat abated ; lay a piece of dry lint over it, or lint wetted with 
water, and over that a piece of oiled silk to retain the moisture. If 
there is much pain or swelling from inflammation, apply a bread- 
and-water poultice, or a piece of linen moistened with Goulard-water. 
When this comes off, if the skin is not healed, dress with simple 
ointment. Or, take tincture of arnica or wolf's-bane, dilute it with 
twenty parts of water or thirty parts, where the skin is broken; 
apply the liquid with a linen rag wrapped round the injured part. 
If this mixture should prove too strong, dilute it with more water. 

CUT THROAT. 

Treatment. — The danger to be apprehended in this case is death 
from haemorrhage ; or, if the wound is sufficiently deep to open the 
windpipe, from suffocation, from an influx of blood into the passage. 
In the latter case, any pressure upon the part would but hasten the 
crisis; but, if the windpipe is not deeply wounded, this may be 
applied. Should there be a gushing out of dark blood, showing 
that a superficial vein is wounded, place the fingers on the course of 
the vein, a little above the cut, between it and the head, and keep a 
firm, though gentle, even pressure, there. If there is bright red 



ACCIDENTS AND EMERGENCIES. 405 

blood coming forth in jets, an attempt should be made to tie the 
divided arteries, for it would be impossible to apply a sufficient 
amount of pressure to stop the bleeding. For directions, -see page 
000- 1^ * s possible that the windpipe may be severed without 
bleeding to such an amount as to produce death. In this case, place 
the patient on his face or on one side, with the neck bent forward, 
so that the blood will naturally take an outward direction ; when it 
has stopped, do not at once close the wound, but put a piece of 
cambric lightly over it, and, at the end of three or four hours, stitch 
it up. Dress as directed for wounds. 

CHOKING. 

This accident, caused by substances getting into the gullet, or 
stopped between the mouth and the stomach, is extremely dan- 
gerous, and generally the effect of carelessness. 

Treatment. — Slap the back smartly but not too heavily, and in 
the mean time let the person swallow some crumbs of bread, and 
drink a draught of water. Or, press a finger immediately down the 
throat as far as possible Or, take large draughts of water, and make 
great efforts to swallow. The quantity of water distends the gullet 
above the lodged food, alters its position, and both water and food 
pass into the stomach with a sudden jerk. If the foregoing efforts 
fail, make a hook with a strong iron wire, or a thin and narrow flat 
piece of iron, sufficiently long not to slip out of the operator's hand. 
The hook should be covered by sewing over it a piece of wash-leather 
or tape. This is to be introduced into the throat, and by that means 
the obstruction removed. A strong emetic will sometimes effect the 
purpose when other means fail ; mustard mixed with warm water is 
as efficacious as any. 

FROST-BITE. 

Lengthened exposure to the cold is apt to render parts of the body 
numb and inanimate. The fingers, toes, lips, nose, and ears, are 
especially liable to be affected. 

Treatment. — To restore the natural warmth of the part gradually 
must be the main object; and on no account must a considerable 
degree of heat be applied suddenly, as it would either kill the part 
outright, or cause violent inflammation to result. Friction with 
snow or cold water merely should be used, until the circulation is 
somewhat restored, and then equal parts of brandy or some other 



406 



OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 



Fig. 106. 




Fig. 107. 



spirit mixed with cold water may be applied, until the restoration is 
completed. Frost-bites are apt to leave troublesome sores, which 
are difficult to heal. The red percipitate ointment is the best appli- 
cation ; and, if much inflamed, they should be poulticed. 

SUDDEN ACCIDENTS AND INJURIES. 

These generally take place in travelling. The first thing is to re- 
move any pressure on the body, and allow the air to come freely to 
the injured portion. If violent bleeding be perceived from any part, 

endeavor to arrest it, by placing 

on it a pad of folded linen and a 

bandage (see Fig. 106). Should it 

f\ d£^-rT //r-3& be a limb, and the blood be of a 

bright scarlet, tie a bandage tight- 
ly above the part; the tightness 
may be increased by inserting a piece of stick, and twisting it round, 
as in Fig. 107. Should no medical man be obtainable, the bleeding 
must be stopped by using a little hook called a tenaculum, the nearest 

approach to which is a shoemaker's 
sewing-awl. This is put into the 
wound, and the vessel from which 
the blood flows hooked and drawn 
forward ; a piece of silk is then tied 
round the vessel, and if the blood 
ceases to flow, the wound is drawn 
together, and bound over with plaster. If blood is still ejected from 
the wound, there must be other arteries injured, which must be 
treated in the same manner before the wound be closed. Often 

pressure, long continued with the fin- 
ger, will stop the bleeding, as in Fig. 
108. If no wound be perceptible, and 
the lips and face pale, the hands and 
feet cold, lay the person out flat, apply 
warmth to the body, and administer a 
little brandy and water every few min- 
utes, and afterwards beef-tea, for if the 
person has only fainted he will speedily 
recover; but if the injury be greater, the remedies must be perse- 
vered in for hours, and every attention rendered. Should the effects 
proceed from a blow, that is, the person be stunned, then raise the 




Fig. 108. 




ACCIDENTS AND EMEEGENCIES. 407 

head, apply warmth to the feet, and some pungent smelling-salts to 
the nose. If the flesh be cut, bathe with a sponge and cold water 
until all the dirt be cleared away and the bleeding stop ; then bring 
the edges of the wound carefully together, and keep them so by 
strips of sticking-plaster (see Fig. 109). On the extremities, a piece 
of linen may be laid over the wound, and then bandaged. But should 
the wound be extensive, take a needle threaded with silk, dip it in 

Fig. 109. Fig. 110. 





oil, and enter the skin about one-eighth of an inch deep, tie each 
stitch with a knot (see Fig. 110), and about thirty hours afterwards 
cut the silk, and draw out the thread. If the part have a throbbing 
sensation, bathe it with cold water. In cases where the flesh is 
torn, bring the parts gently together, and lightly strap them with 
sticking-plaster. If a part be bruised, let it remain as much at rest 
as possible ; but, if severe, get the person to bed, and apply a cloth 
dipped in cold water every few minutes. Should the part bleed, the 
vesselcan be tied as before directed. Many persons feel themselves 
shaken without any positive injury; but we would advise, in this 
case, that at least an hour's rest be taken on a couch or bed. 

CUTS. 

For small and simple cuts, use the following 

Treatment. — Tie it up at once with a piece of linen rag ; this is 
usually sufficient to stay the bleeding. The small quantity of blood 
which may exude quickly dries up the wound, and forms a sort of 
glue which effectually excludes the air. As no better dressing can 
be used, it may be left on till the cut is well. If the bleeding should 
be excessive, it should be checked by the use of cold water or astrin- 
gents, such as turpentine or Friar's balsam, and the edges of the cut 
surface brought firmly into contact by strips of sticking-plaster, 
and, if necessary, bandaged. 



408 OUR EAMILY DOCTOR. 

CUTS FROM THE FLESH. 

If a piece of flesh be cut out, wash it, and the part from which it 
was cut, without a moment's loss of time, replace it exactly in its 
proper place, and keep it there with a piece of sticking-plaster. If 
the piece can not be replaced, bathe the part with cold water until 
the bleeding stops, and place over it a piece of soft linen, as directed 
on p. 406. 

STABS. 

The danger of such accidents is, that there may be some important 
deeply-seated part injured. They are treated as common wounds : 
the bleeding stopped by cold water and a sponge, then the edges 
brought together with strapping, and bound up. If inflammation 
set in, foment with cold water for a day or two, then with warm 
water, and apply poultices. At times, when apparently healing, there 
will be a painful sensation ; and matter formed below will force its 
way out ; this may happen more than once. The patient should be 
kept quiet in bed for several days. 

BANDY LEGS. 

A child is sometimes born bandy, but more frequently becomes so 
through being suffered to walk or stand before the legs have strength 
sufficient to support the body. In either case, the evil may be re- 
moved or considerably amended by proper care and attention. 

Treatment. — Bathe the legs two or three times a day in bay-salt 
and water, and afterwards rub them briskly with the hand. Where 
sea-bathing can be obtained, it is of course the best ; and where it 
is inconvenient to take the child to the sea, sea-water can be brought 
into the house for the purpose. With regard to irons, splints, ban- 
dages, &c, it is better not to apply these except under medical advice 
and supervision. In many cases these appliances will do more harm 
than good. 

With females, bandy legs are more serious deformities than with 
males, as they are connected with malformation of the pelvis, and 
other bones which enclose the uterus, and so interfere with the 
formation, growth, or delivery of the foetus. 

PROUD FLESH. 

This is a name applied to the red granulations which often appear 
on the surface of wounds and ulcers. If they rise above the level 
of the skin they may be destroyed by a caustic application, such 



ACCIDENTS AND EMERGENCIES. 409 

as the nitrate of silver or sulphate of copper (blue stone) ; a few 
grains of red precipitate, or a little powdered lump-sugar. The 
first-named of the above is the most effectual, but care should be 
taken, in applying it, only to touch the spots themselves. 

INGROWING NAILS. 

It often happens that a tight or ill-made shoe, by continual pres- 
sure on one part of the nail, forces it into the flesh, and then causes 
great pain and inconvenience. 

Treatment for the Toe. — First procure an easier shoe, which will 
allow the nail to take its natural course ; then take a piece of glass, 
and with it scrape the whole length of the middle of the nail persist- 
ently, and yet with a delicate hand. By this means, the centre of the 
nail will eventually be rendered so thin, that it may be readily bent, 
and in this flexible condition it gives way to the upward pressure of 
the skin on its outward edges, readily bends, and offers no further 
resistance. The cause of irritation being withdrawn, the tenderness 
soon heals, and the proud flesh drops down. 

An ingrowing nail may be caused by an improper mode of cutting 
it. Nails should never be clipped at the corners, but cut straight 
across the top, if anything, slightly scooped in the middle. This 
leaves a sufficient amount of resistance at the corners ; for wear what 
shoes we may, there must always be a certain degree of pressure on 
the nail, which should be provided for. 

Treatment for the Finger. — Wrap the affected finger in a com- 
press moistened with a lotion made as follows : Liquor of ammonia, 
one ounce ; camphorated alcohol, one drac h:n ; bay salt, quarter of an 
ounce ; water three-quarters of a pint ; mix, and shake well together. 
After ten minutes, remove this, and replace it by a compress annoint- 
ed with camphor pomatum, and kept in place till next dressing by 
a rubber finger-stall drawn over it. Then dissolve one and a quar- 
ter ounces of camphor in a gill of brandy, wet a narrow band with 
this solution, place it round the root of the nail, and let it remain 
there until the next dressing. 

The finger-nails should be cut of an oval shape, corresponding 
with the form of the finger ; they should not be allowed to grow too 
long, as they thereby are rendered more liable to accident, neither 
should they be too short, as they thus deprive the ends of the fingers 
of their protection and support. When the nails are naturally ragged 
or ill-formed, they should be gently scraped, afterwards rubbed with 



410 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

lemon, then rinsed with water, and well dried with a towel. If the 
nails grow more to one side than the other, they should be cut in 
such a manner as to make the points come as near as possible to the 
centre of the end of the finger. 

DISLOCATIONS. 

By this term, we understand a displacement, by violence, of one 
part of a joint from its natural connection to the other. By a know- 
ledge of the structure of the joint, we are enabled to lay down rules 
by which the displaced bone may be returned or reduced. The 
ligaments which have been torn asunder re-unite, and the joint regains 
its healthy structure. The sooner this is done the better, and the 
easier will it be effected; but the attempt may be made even after 
the expiration of three or four weeks, if in the larger joints. After 
this period, the displaced bone adheres to the part it is in contact 
with, and the attempt should not be made but by an experienced 
surgeon. After the reduction, inflammation of a mild character may 
follow, which the application of a few leeches will suffice to remove. 
The joint may be bound up lightly with a wet band, and cold water, 
or vinegar and water, applied. 

Dislocation of the Lower Jaw. 

Symptoms. — The mouth is fixed open, pain in front of the ear, and 
extending up to the temples. This state of the jaw occurs suddenly, 
while gaping, eating, or talking, while the jaw is in motion, and is 
apt to recur. 

Treatment. — Place the patient on a low seat, cover the two thumbs 
with a silk pocket-handkerchief, pass the thumbs into the mouth, 
and press with force, slowly applied, on the last four lower teeth, and 
at the same time raise the chin, pushing the jaw backwards. Con- 
siderable pressure is required by the thumbs; two pieces of wood 
may be employed as a substitute for the thumbs. 

Dislocation of the End of the Collar-Bone. 

Either end of the collar-bone may be dislocated by a blow or a fall, 
indicated by a swelling over the joints which the bone forms either 
with the breast-bone or shoulder-blade, and by the suddenness of its 
occurrence. The treatment is very much like that of the fracture 
of the cellar-bone, to which reference must be made. A pad of lint 
should be put on the swelling, and the arm raised high in a sling. 
This accident will require three weeks' rest. 



ACCIDENTS AND EMERGENCIES. 411 

Dislocation of the Shoulder. 

Symptoms. — Flatness of the shoulder, compared with the roundness 
of the sound side ; inability to move the arm ; the elbow placed at 
from two to three inches from the side ; the attempt to press it to 
the side occasioning pain in the shoulder. If the fingers be passed 
up under the arm to the armpit, the head of the bone will be felt out 
of the socket, and may be revolved to make it perceptible. 

Treatment. — A round or jack towel, through which the arm should 
be drawn ; the towel carried up to the armpit and twisted over the 
shoulder, and the two ends thus twisted passed over the back of the 
neck, and fixed into a staple by Fig. ill, 

a rope, or otherwise. "Wash- 
leather, or other soft materal, 
to be wound around the arm, 
just below the elbow; a close 
hitch-knot of good quarter-inch 
line made upon it. The patient 
to be placed in a chair and held 
firmly, or to lie down on a bed, 
and fixed. The arm may be 
drawn slowly and steadily, at %^ 

an angle half way between horizontal and vertical, and the extension 
to be continued for ten minutes to a quarter of an hour, — during 
which, frequently, the surgeon or superintendent should raise the 
arm, near the upper or dislocated end, upwards, with his two hands, 
with some force : the head will return into the socket with a sound, 
or slight shock. If the head of the bone be thrown forward on the 
chest, the extension to be carried a little backward; if backwards, a 
little forward. After reduction, a sling and three weeks' to a 
months' rest. The reduction may also be effected by laying the 
patient on the ground on his back, while the operator places his 
right heel in the left armpit (as in Fig. Ill), if the dislocation occur 
on the left side, and his left heel in the right armpit, if it occur on 
the right side, and makes a powerful extension on the affected arm 
by both hands. 

Dislocation of the Elbow-Joint. 

The elbow-joint consists of three bones — the bone of tha arm 
spreading out across the joint, and the radius outside, the ulna inside. 
The most common dislocation is when both radius and ulna are 
thrown backwards. 




412 



OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 



Fig. 112. 




Symptoms. — The joint motionless, a little bent ; skin tight in 
front of the joint; a projection behind formed by the elbow, which, 
with its tendon, is pushed back. The joint can neither be bent nor 
straightened. 

Treatment. — Two men will be 
sufficient generally, unless the pa- 
tient be very muscular. Extension 
to be made in a straight direction 
by both. The force required is not 
generally very great, and the re- 
duction takes place commonly with 
a snap. Both bones may be forced 
forwards — when this accident oc- 
curs, the elbow (olecranon) is 
broken. The imperfect line of the 
joint will be readily observed 
when a comparison is made with 
the opposite joint. 

Reduction. — Simple extension, 
as before ; and, when reduced, the 
joint should be placed straight, 
and bound on to a splint. This 
accident will require from five to 
six weeks. Other accidents of this 
kind occur to the elbow-joint, but 
they may all be treated on the 
same principle, namely, forcing 
the bones back to their natural 
position, which may be ascertained on comparison with the opposite 
sound limb, or the limb of another person. 



The Elbow-Joint. 

1, the Humerus, or upper bone of the arm ; 
2, the Ulna ; 3, the Radius ; — these two being 
the lower bones, they are all held together by 
ligaments connected with both extremities 
of the bones, and with the shaft ; 4 marks the 
insertion of the external lateral ligament, 
•which passes beneath into the orbicular liga- 
ment 5, of which the hinder part (6) is spread 
out at its insertion into the Ulna ; 7 marks 
the situation of the anterior ligament, scarce- 
ly seen in this view ; and 8 is the posterior 
ligament, thrown into folds by the extension 
of the joint. There are other ligaments not 
shown here ; nor are the muscles by which 
the complicated movements of the joint are 
effected. 



Dislocation of the Fingers and Toes. 

Dislocation of the fingers and toes are of rare occurrence ; and, 
when they do happen, it is generally between the first and second 
joint. They may be easily known by the projection of the dislocated 
bones, and reduced without much difficulty, if done soon after the 
accident. 

Treatment. — Fig. 113 will show the method of reduction; the clove- 
hitch, made with a piece of stout tape, may be used if there is much 



ACCIDENTS AND EMEKGENCIES. 413 

difficulty ; the wrist during the operation should have a slight for- 
ward inclination given to it. This will relax the flexor muscles. 

Dislocation of the, Wrist-Joint. 

The hand may be forced back- ^^^ "^— -*v 

wards or forwards, but this acci- agm^^^^^^^^^^^A^^k 
dent is very uncommon. The na- Bf/SJi vjl" V ; ' vW| 

ture of the case will be apparent B lta||g^J/*^ lllil 

to the slightest observation. Ifl^# ^3Q) *^ygip 

Treatment. — The hand should be grasped firmly by a powerful 
man, and drawn straight. If the hand slips, a bandage may be ap- 
plied around it to aid the application of the extending force : but all 
that is required is full extension, by which the hand may be drawn 
straight. The same observation will apply to dislocation of the 
fingers. 

Dislocation of the Hip-Joint. 

These dislocations are very important and very numerous, being 
not less than four in number. The hip-joint consists of the head of 
the thigh-bone and the socket formed by the pelvis, or continuation 
of the haunch-bone, towards the middle of the body. These accidents 
generally arise from a fall from a height, or a very severe blow, and 
are attended with severe injury to the structure of the joint and sur- 
rounding parts, although the consequences are not generally so severe 
as fracture of the neck of the thigh, detailed above. 

The head may be thrown from the socket in four directions: 
First — upwards and backwards. Second — backwards. Third — 
downwards and inwards. Fourth — upwards and inwards. The 
most frequent is the first — upwards and backwards. 

Symptoms. — Shortening of the leg to the extent of about two inches. 
The foot is turned in, and lies over the opposite foot ; the ball of the 
great toe towards the opposite instep ; the leg can not be turned out, 
nor the attempt made without pain. On examining the side of the 
buttock where the head is thrown, it will be felt on the bone, with 
the great projection formed by the end of the shaft of the bone, 
placed in front of it. If the leg is rotated, the head and the great 
process, or prominence (trochanter), will be felt to revolve also. The 
line of the thigh is altogether too far outwards. 

Treatment. — A round or jack towel should be applied, as in the case 
of the dislocation of the shoulder, and drawn up around the thigh 



414 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

as high as possible, and twisted over the hip-bone somewhat tightly, 
and fixed behind into a staple. "Wash-leather, or a soft towel, to be 
wound around the thigh, about the knee, and around this the cord 
or line with two clove-hitches, one on each side of the thigh. The 
aid of six men will be required, who must draw very slowly and very 
cautiously. The patient should be placed nearly on the sound side, 
and the limb should be drawn a little across the other limb ; and 
after it has begun to descend, yet a little more across the opposite 
leg. When the thigh is fully extended it will generally reduce itself, 
and may be heard to return into the socket with a snap. Should it 
not do so, the superintendent should take the thigh high up towards 
the trunk in his hands, and raise it, and use a round towel, passed 
under the limb and over his neck, and raise it, twisting it outwards 
at the same time. 

Dislocation Backwards, 

Symptoms. — The symptoms are nearly the same, except that the 
shortening is less, and the turning in of the foot less also ; but both 
the symptoms exist in a degree. The head of the bone lies lower 
down, and is less apparent to the hand when pressing on it. 

Treatment. — The reduction is effected by the application of nearly 
the same means. The limb should, however, be drawn rather more 
over the opposite limb. "When fully extended, it should be turned 
outwards, when the head will slip into the socket. 

Dislocation Downwards and Inwards. 

Symptoms. — The leg is a little lengthened, and is drawn forwards 
on the trunk ; or, if placed straight downwards on the ground, the 
trunk will be bent forwards as in a stooping posture; the toe points 
a little outwards. The line of the thigh, when compared with its fel- 
low, is directed too much inwards towards the middle of the body, 
and also too far backwards. The thigh should be moved in all di- 
rections, slightly, to ascertain that it is fixed in this position. 

Treatment. — Apparatus applied as before, patient lying on his 
back; extension to be made downward and outward, and when 
brought down, after some minutes' extension, the thigh should be 
forced in its upper end, outwards, by the hand, or the towel being 
placed between the thigh and drawn in the direction opposite to that 
of the dislocation, namely, upwards and outwards. 



ACCIDENTS AND EMEEGENCIES. 



415 



Dislocation Upwards and Inwards. 

This is the most formidable of all these dislocations. 

Symptoms. — The leg is shortened, and, like the last dislocation, 
drawn forwards on the body, as though in the act of stepping to walk. 
Both these last symptoms are more strongly marked than in the 
former. A swelling, caused by the head of the bone, is apparent at 
the groin, and the bone is firmly fixed. 

Treatment. — The same means as before, and nearly the same di- 
rection as the last accident, except that the limb should be drawn 
outwards and more backwards. These two last dislocations may be 
reduced in the sitting posture of the patient, and in that position 
drawn round a bed-post. A month's rest is required, or even more. 

Dislocation of the Knee-Pan. 

The knee-pan {patella) may be forced off the end of the thigh-bone 
either outwards or inwards ; but the latter is very rare. Displace- 
ment outward is generally caused by sudden and violent action of 
the muscles of the thigh. 

Symptoms. — The appearance of the bone on the outside of the knee 
joint, instead of in front, attended with pain, stiffness of the knee, 
and inability to walk without much pain. 

Treatment. — The leg must be bent forwards on the trunk, and the 
knee straightened as much as possible ; the bone is then to be forced 
back by the pressure of the hand. When it is returned, the knee 
should be very slightly bent, and placed over a pillow. From three 
weeks to a month will be required. -, . 

THE ANKLE. 

The ankle is the joint which connects 
the foot with the leg. It is called a hinge- 
joint, and is formed of the extremities of 
the large and small bones of the latter 
(1, 2), and the smooth surface of the As- 
tralagus (3), a bone of the former, articu- 
lated together, and kept in their places 
by strong ligaments (4, 5). 

Dislocation of the Foot at the Ankle-Joint. 

The foot may be forced inwards, outwards, forwards, and back- 
wards. Of these, the second (outwards) is by far the most frequent. 




416 OUB FAMILY DOCTOK. 

It is generally accompanied by fracture of the small or outer bone of 
the leg, about four inches above the ankle-joint. On comparing the 
dislocated with the opposite foot, the distortion will be apparent. 

Treatment. — The foot should be held firmly by a strong man, by 
the heel and by the front, and drawn steadily downwards, and forced 
back into its position. A little backward and forward movement of 
the foot or the ankle will facilitate its return. 

The other dislocations may be ascertained by comparison with the 
opposite foot, and should all be reduced on the same principle, and 
by the same means, as the dislocation outwards, above described. 

FRACTURES. 

One of the commonest accidents, to which all are liable, is a frac- 
ture of one or other of the bones, which is often produced by a slight 
fall, or some other trifling accident, especially in very cold weather, 
when the bones are more brittle than at any other time. 

Treatment. — The patient should be laid on a door or shutter, the 
limbs tied together or placed as near as possible in a natural position, 
and carried by two or four bearers. For a few days, a limb should 
not be "put up," but loosely bandaged in its proper posture, and an 
evaporating lotion applied till the swelling begins to abate. The 
consequence of a broken bone is the entire incapacity of the limb or 
the part to perform its functions in the economy, until the bone is 
not only united, but so firmly knit as to render it fitted for a cau- 
tious return to its duties. A bone requires for this purpose a period 
proportionate to its size, bulk, &c, the extremes being from about 
three weeks to twelve — or what is termed simple fractures ; but in 
compound fractures — where the soft parts about the broken bone 
are largely torn, communicating with the external air by a wound of 
the integument — these periods must be greatly extended. 

Fractures of the Skull. 

Little can be said on this subject, inasmuch as the injury is essen- 
tially dangerous in its nature, and the aid from surgery comparatively 
less than in ordinary fractures. If it be attended with deep sleep, 
snoring, and insensibility to pain, evidenced by pinching, &c, it may 
be inferred that a portion of bone is pressing on, or into the brain. 

Whether the external skin be broken or not, an examination should 
be made, provided the situation of the blow be clearly indicated by 
the fracture being perceptible to the touch, or by blood being effused 



ACCIDENTS AND EMEKGENCIES. 417 

under the skin. A cut should be made two or three inches in length 
down to the bone ; if arteries bleed, they should be seized with a pair 
of forceps and tied with a piece of silk thread, the ends of which 
may be cut off. When the bone is exposed, by one or two incisions 
as may be required, the depressed bone should be raised by a chisel, 
or some similar instrument, to its natural level; any pieces of sepa- 
rated bone should be removed entirely, the surface sponged clean, 
and lastly, the skin or scalp brought together ; the hair around hav- 
ing been shaved off, the wound is to be re-united by sticking-plaster. 
Twenty-four hours after, when inflammation appears, give doses of 
five to ten drops of tincture of viratrum viride, every one or two 
hours, if the pulse becomes full, and the skin hot, and the brain 
excited. 

Fracture of the Finger. 

After employing extension, and thus bringing the ends of the bone 
together, place a small smooth piece of wood, or of gutta percha, on 
the under, and another on the upper side, and proceed to bandage 
somewhat tightly, so as to keep the finger extended ; put the arm in 
a sling, and keep it so for a month. If the injured part swells and 
becomes painful, the bandage must be loosened, and a cold lotion ap- 
plied ; this is generally by no means a difficult case to treat. 

Fracture of the Bones of the Hand or Finger. 

These bones, which intervene between the wrist and the fingers, 
should be treated in the following manner : place in the palm of the 
hand, a soft, but firm, spherical body, and closing the fingers and 
thumb over it, in a grasping position, keep them so with a bandage ; 
by this means the natural arch is preserved, which it will not be if 
flat splints are applied. In this case, too, the arm had better be 
slung, and from a month to five weeks will be the time required to 
effect a union. 

Fracture of the Fore-Arm. 

Fracture of the fore-arm may be either of the ulna or the radius, 
or of both : the former is the outer and thicker bone of the two (see 
Fig. 116), and the fracture of this does not much disturb the general 
outline of the arm ; it may be broken at any part of its length, or at 
the elbow process, called Olecranon (3), or at (4). In the first case 
the plan will be to bend the elbow, and bring the hand into such a 
position that the thumb points upwards; use extension until no 



418 



OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 



unevenness can be discovered in the course of the bone, and then 
apply two splints, the inner one reaching from the bend of -the 
elbow to the tips of the fingers, and the outer from a little beyond 
the elbow to the middle of the back of the hand, which should be 
Fig. 116. raised well towards the chest so as to make a sharp 
angle and draw the ulna from the radius. When the 
fracture is in this latter bone (2) the same method 
must be adopted, only that the hand must be depress- 
ed instead of raised, in order to keep the two bones 
apart. "When these are both fractured, the setting is, 
of course, more difficult, and much time has often to 
be spent in extension and manipulation, before the 
four broken ends can be brought properly together. 
The splints should be put on as above directed, ban- 
daging the hand firmly to the longer one, and placing 
it so that it is neither raised nor depressed, but in a 
right line with the axis of the arm. When there is 
fracture of the olecranon there is little or no power of 
extension in the elbow, behind which a bony lump 
may be felt. A true osseous union in this case is 
scarcely to be looked for ; but the injury will proba- 
bly be repaired by a band of ligament. There is com- 
monly inflammation and swelling, which must be re- 
duced before pressure can be applied ; the arm should 
The Fore- Arm. fo^ k e pt straight, and wet with cold lotion ; and apply 
a splint as soon as it can be borne ; let it be a long one, reaching 
on the inside from the shoulder to the hand. Bandage the arm in a 
straight position, beginning from the top, and making, as you go, 
extension downward, so as to get the broken bone into its place ; it 
is long ere the limb is in a serviceable condition after a fracture like 
this. When the coronoid process is broken, the matter is more easily 
managed. The forearm must be bandaged in a bent position, and 
kept so. In about a month, slight exertion of the limb may be 
allowed, but there must be great care taken that it is not too 
violent. 

Fracture of the Humerus. 

Fracture of the humerus, or upper arm-bone, very commonly takes 

place in the shaft, or any part of which, within an inch and a half of 

the extremities. It is easily detected by the mobility of the limb at 

the seat of the injury, and the patient's incapability of raising the 




ACCIDENTS AND EMERGENCIES. 



419 




Fig. 118. 



elbow ; the broken ends of the bone, too, may readily be felt, and the 
crepitation heard, when they are rubbed together. In this case, two 
wooden splints will be required — one tc go before arid the other 
behind ; or, if the arm is very muscular, four may be necessary to 
embrace it properly; they should be padded 
with tow, wadding, or lint, as here represented, 
and furnished with tapes, to buckle or tie, a$ 
may be most convenient. The padding should I 
be placed upon a soft piece of cotton or linen, 
a little longer than the splint at each end, and 
three times as broad ; turn in the ends and sides, so that the pad 
is a little larger than the splint every way, and about half an inch 
thick, and make all fast by tacking; place the turned- in ends of the 
cotton next the wood, so that there is a 
smooth surface presented to the skin. 
The tapes, three in number, are put on 
to the splints double, so that there is a 
loop at one end (1), through which, after 
it has encircled the limb, the other end 
is passed (2), then drawn tight and tied 
to the remaining end (3) with a bow- 
knot, as shown in Fig. 118. A bandage, very easily loosened, may 
be made in this way of a strip of cotton or broad tape. The setting 
of the bone is not difficult in this case ; the ends are easily brought 
together, and being so, the splints maybe placed, Fig. 119. 

and made firm by means of the looped tapes; 
these should not, at first, be drawn tighter than 
is required to keep the splints right, and prevent 
movement of the arm. After the first few days, 
when the swelling has subsided, a more perma- 
nent investment of the limb may be made. First 
give it a pretty firm roll of bandage, then place 
two splints, one on each side, of stout paste- 
board, gutta-percha, or leather, cut so that they 
will come down and cover part of the fore-arm, 
as represented by the dotted lines in Fig. 119. 
The splints should have been previously shaped, 
or moulded, to the sound arm, and should be well fixed by more 
bandage, which, as it is rolled, should be brushed over with starch to 
prevent it slipping. Sometimes, where there is not much muscle, the 





420 OUE FAMILY DOCTOR. 

starch bandage is alone used; but, in this case, the whole of it must 
be well saturated with strong starch, paste, gum, or white of egg, 
with strips of brown paper stuck down across the folds here and 
there. Care must be taken not to move the arm until all this is dry 
and firmly set. The hand and wrist must be supported with a sling, 
but the elbow had better hang free, as its weight will tend to keep 
the bone straight and the muscles extended. 

Fracture of the Neck of the Humerus. 

Fracture of the neck of the humerus is that which takes place 
when the upper extremity, or head, is broken off. The symptoms 
Fig. 120. here are very much like those which attend 

dislocation of the shoulder, and the treat- 
ment must be much the same. Draw down 
the shaft of the bone, and push up the head 
by means of a pad in the arm-pit; then 
bringing the arm close to the body, with 
the lower part at right angles with the 
upper, fix it to the chest by a splint on its 
^^^SBBIS^^^^^i outside, and a long bandage encircling it 

and the whole body, as shown in Fig. 120). 

Fracture of the Condyles. 

This is when the lower part of the hu- 
merus is the seat of the injury, the condyles being the rounded 
eminences which fit into the socket-like hollows at the head of the 
ulna to form the elbow- joint. 

Treatment. — Bend the elbow to a considerable angle, and keep it 
so by means of bent splints of gutta-percha, or millboard, moulded 
to the shape, the first being softened by heat, the last by moisture. 
Bandage, and keep all quiet until adhesion of the bone takes place, 
then put the arm in a sling, and let it remain thus supported for a 
month or six weeks. 

Fracture of the Shoulder-Blade. 

This commonly happens near the neck, and is very likely to be 
confounded with dislocation of the shoulder, or fracture ctf the neck 
of the humerus, like which it should be treated, only that the arm, 
instead of being drawn down, must be supported. 




ACCIDENTS AND EMERGENCIES. 



421 



Fig. 121. 




Fracture of the Collar-Bone. 

This is, perhaps, one of the commonest accidents of the kind that 
can happen, and one of the most easily detected. It is generally 
occasioned by a blow on the shoulder, which falls forward, pushing 
the ends of the broken bone one over the other. The main object 

in the treatment must therefore be, to 
keep the shoulder back until the bone 
has united, and become sufficiently 
firm to do this without artificial aid. 
^ This end is accomplished by various 
means, but the following plan is the 
most simple and successful for unpro- 
fessional adoption (see Fig. 121). A 
wedge-shaped pad of any soft material 
— a pair of old stockings, for instance — 
is made, and put in the middle of a 
small shawl, or a large handkerchief; it 
is then placed well under the arm, but 
on the iujured side (1) ; the ends of the envelope are brought, back 
and front, over the opposite shoulder, then crossed, and tied beneath 
the sound arm (2); another broad bandage of some kind is then 
passed several times round the body and injured arm (3), so as to 
bind the latter closely to the former in such a manner that the pad 
beneath the arm-pit acts as a fulcrum, and allows the outer end of 
the broken collar-bone to be pulled backward and outward during 
the process of binding, which, when completed, sets it fast in the 
right position. We have then only to envelope the whole of the 
fore-arm in a sling, and the apparatus is complete; it should be 
worn a month at least. If the arm exhibits a tendency to swell, it 
must be bandaged from the fingers upwards. 

Sometimes the collar-bone is broken externally, near the point of 
attachment to the coracoid process. In this case there is scarcely 
any displacement of the fractured ends, and little need be done be- 
yond keeping the patient quiet, and slinging the arm. In any frac- 
ture withinside of this point, the arm falls down, and is drawn inwards, 
and the above should be the plan of treatment. 

Fractures of the Ribs. 

Fractures of the ribs are not of unfrequent occurrence. They 
commonly result from a fall or blow, and may be complete or only 
partial, involving one or more of the bones. 



422 OUE FAMILY DOCTOK. 

Symptoms. — A sharp pain is felt at the injured spot, especially in 
breathing and coughing; irregularity to the touch; and distinct 
crepitation. 

Treatment. — The chief risk involved is injury to the lungs, from 
the sharp ends of the bone and consequent inflammation. Leeches 
are sometimes applied to the seat of pain, and hot-bran bags. A 
band of stout cotton or flannel, from eight to ten inches wide, should 
be passed round the chest several times, beginning close under the 
armpits and going down to the end of the ribs. It should be drawn 
so tightly as to keep the ribs from rising and falling in the act of 
respiration. If inflammation follow, the pulse must be quieted by 
five to eight drops of tincture of viratrum viride, every one or two 
hours. The patient should be kept perfectly quiet, and on low diet, 
for a fortnight at least, assuming the position which is found most 
easy, which will probably be a half sitting one, supported by 
pillows. 

Fracture of the Lower Jaw. 

Fracture of the lower jaw sometimes occurs from a blow on the 
face, and in extracting a tooth. The nature of the mischief in this 
case is sufficiently evident ; the grating is distinct, and the fracture 
can be felt. Professor Fergusson's treatment is the simplest and 
surest. Cut two narrow wedges of cork, an inch and a half long, a 
quarter thick at the base, and sloping away to an edge ; place them 
between the teeth, one on each side ; warm a piece of gutta-percha, 
or soften a piece of thick pasteboard in water, and mould it to the 
injured jaw, and keep in its place by means of either of the head- 
bandages figured at page 398. This must be tight enough to prevent 
any motion in the jaw. The cork wedges will keep an open space 
between the teeth for the passage of food, which must be in a liquid 
form. The mouth should be rinsed frequently with a lotion of tinc- 
ture of myrrh and water in the proportion of two drachms of the 
former, to half a pint of the latter. 

Fracture of the Leg between the Knee and the Ankle-Joints. 

The leg is composed of two bones, an inner larger (the tibia), an 
outer smaller bone (the fibula). One or both may be broken. The 
tibia is more frequently broken about two thirds of the way down. 
It is detected without much difficulty by passing the hand down the 
line of the shin, although the displacement may not be great. It is 



ACCIDENTS AND EMEKGENCIES. 



423 



Fig. 123. 



not easy to detect a fracture of the fibula, nor is it of great impor- 
tance to do so. 

Treatment. — Extension must be made as in the other fractures, 
and sufficiently so to bring the broken surfaces together. The old- 
fashioned straight splint would pro- F 
bably be the most readily available 
in domestic treatment. It is shaped 
as shown in Fig. 122, and should be 

sufficiently long to extend from a little above the knee to four 
inches beyond the sole of the foot. It may be quickly made out of 
half-inch board, planed smooth; the breadth should be about three 
inches; this must be padded throughout its whole length, except 
the notched end, which is to project beyond the foot, with tow, lint, 
or other soft material, taking care to have the pad thicker at the 
lower part, to suit the diminution in the size of the leg. This splint 
must be carefully placed against that side of the limb from which 
the foot exhibits a tendency to turn. We will suppose that a stout 
cotton bandage, about 
two and a half inches 
wide, and twelve inches 
long, has been provided. 
With this, beginning at 
the foot, and bringing it down from the instep between the notches 
at the bottom of the splint, envelope the limb evenly, fold over fold 
(as directed on page 397) up nearly to the knee, just below which a 
broad piece of tape should be passed, 
with the ends through the holes in the 
top of the splint, which ends are to be 
firmly tied at the moment when exten- 
sion of the limb is made by an assis- 
tant ; the bandage is then to be carried 
on over the head of the splint, and 
made secure. In Fig. 123 we see the 
limb, before this process is completed. When both bones are 
broken, it is generally necessary to apply the angular splint adapted 
to the ankle, of which Fig. 124 exhibits the outer and inner sides. 




Fig. 124. 




Fracture of the Knee-Pan. 



Fracture of the knee-pan sometimes happens from the mere mus- 
cular exertion of kicking or throwing out the leg violently. It may 



424 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

be at once detected by the depression in the bony plate, and sepa- 
ration of the broken fragments ; these can not be kept in close appo- 
sition, and the injury is made good by a ligamentous band, which 
connects them. To facilitate this process, the leg should be kept in 
a straight position, above the level of the hip, so that the muscles of 
the thigh, which are attached to the upper edge of the knee-pan, 
may be relaxed. A long splint, bound beneath the leg from the 
thigh to the foot, will effect this object. Over the broken patella, a 
piece of cotton is bound, and the knee is bandaged tightly above 
and below this, so as to bring the broken pieces as closely together 
as possible, and to keep them so. The bandage will have to remain 
on probably for two months, as a fracture of this kind unites very 
slowly. The knee is generally weak after,' and it is best to support 
it with an elastic knee-cap. 

Fracture of the Thigh. 

This is a very serious accident. The bone may be broken just 
above the knee, in the shaft, or near the neck. In the first of these 
cases the nature of the injury is sufficiently obvious, as the broken 
bone can be felt beneath the skin. This also is the case with the 
second, in which, as in the third, there is shortening of the limb, and 
generally turning out of the foot. This accident may be readily 
distinguished from dislocation of the hip, by the mobility of the hip- 
joint. 

Treatment. — There is always much difficulty in keeping the ends 
of the bone in apposition here, in consequence of the power exerted 
by the muscles of the thigh, which are constantly pulling lengthways 
and causing the ends to overlap, or, as we say, "ride" upon each 
other; this is especially the case if the fracture is oblique. It is best 
to use the long straight splint first, in either of these cases, and to 
put it on with a light bandaging, gradually tightening it, to accustom 
the limb to the pressure. The splint must be made in the same way 
as that shown in Fig. 122, but much longer, reaching from the hip 
to beyond the toes. When inflammation has subsided, and the 
pressure can be borne, the case had better be treated in this way: 
let the patient lie on a hard mattress, with the leg extended and 
uncovered ; then commence operations by bandaging the leg evenly 
from the toes to the knee; then place the splint, previously well 
padded, in its place, and make it fast with rollers to the foot, ankle, 
and leg, taking care that the former is in the position which it is to 



ACCIDENTS AND EMERGENCIES. 



425 



occupy — that is, pointing straight upwards ; next, take a silk hand- 
kerchief, in the middle of which some wool has been rolled up, to 
make it of considerable thickness, and pass it between the legs, 
bringing one end up behind, and one before ; these ends pass through 
the holes at the top of the long splint, and tie them as tightly as 
possible, without displacing the fracture. Then after confining the 
splint to the waist, with a bandage, insert a short stick between the 
loop of the handkerchief, and give two or three turns ; this will have 
the effect of shortening the handkerchief, and pulling down the 
splint, which will carry with it the part of the limb attached to it 
below, producing the necessary extension. Ke&p on at this until 
you find that the injured leg is as long as the sound one; and 
when this is the case, lay a short splint along the inside of the thigh, 
and bandage tightly and smoothly, from the knee up to the hip. 

Fig. 125. 




When it is completed, the patient will appear as in Fig. 125. The ex- 
tension mustf be kept up for about six weeks, at the end of which 
time the fracture may be sufficiently inited to bear the strain of the 
muscles upon it. 



Fracture of the Pelvis. 

Fracture of the pelvis sometimes occurs in falls from great heights, 
or in being run over, or having some crushing weight thrown on the 
body. When it occurs there is generally serious injury to the viscera 
of the abdomen and pelvis, indicated by the passage of blood from 
the bladder and bowels. The nature of the mischief in this case is 
not easily detected, and little can be done beyond enjoining perfect 
rest and a lowering diet, unless there are symptoms of collapse, in 
which case stimulants must be given. 



426 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

Compound Fractures. 

The term compound is applied to a fracture in which the skin is 
broken or torn, the wound of which communicates with the broken 
bone. This case is more serious and much more tedious than of com- 
mon fractures, especially when the wound is large ; but be it ever so 
small, it proves great violence and injury done to the soft parts, 
muscles, &c. Some weeks after the injury elapse before the bone 
begins to unite, in consequence of the large formation of matter that 
generally takes place, and the process of union of the bone does not 
begin until this action has ceased. During this stage, the patient 
becomes often seriously ill, and his vital powers are exhausted by 
the large quantity of matter poured out around and among the in- 
jured parts. In young and healthy persons, in whom the injury to 
the muscles, &c, is not very great, these stages are not very strongly 
marked, and the cure proceeds more rapidly. 

Treatment. — The wound must be healed, if possible, the edges 
being brought together by adhesive plaster. The splints, whatever 
bone may be affected, should be applied as in simple fracture, care 
being taken, however, not to press on the wound if possible, and 
this may be avoided by dividing the pad that lies over the wound, 
into two parts, leaving a space for the wound, which should be un- 
touched ; the pad should be very thick. A better method than this, 
however, is to divide the splint and to connect the two parts by 
means of an arch of iron, so that the wound may be dressed without 
difficulty. This is called an interrupted splint. If the wound does 
not heal at once, the plaster may be removed, and a linseed-meal poul- 
tice substituted. 

During the stage of formation of matter (suppuration), the patient 
will require tonic medicines, as bark, porter, &c, and small doses of 
opium at night, and nourishing diet, if the stomach will bear it; but 
this treatment should not be carried too far. Strong purgatives are 
injurious. The case will continue to progress very slowly for some 
weeks ; abscesses may form ; and, should matter collect under the 
skin so as to be felt on examination, or the skin become red and thin, 
the part should be punctured, and great relief will be afforded by 
its escape. 

The splints should be removed as often as the matter renders the 
pads foul, or the wound appears to suffer from their presence ; per- 
haps this may be required every other day, or even oftener. When 
the suppurative stage has passed, which may occupy from one month 



ACCIDENTS AND EMEEGENCIES. 427 

to two, the wound will look florid and healthy; and as soon as it 
begins to heal, the bone will begin to unite, but not until then. A 
month or five weeks will still be required before the union is com- 
plete, and two or three weeks yet longer before the patient is enabled 
to use the limb. The above periods refer to compound fracture of 
the thigh-bone. Compound fractures of other bones pass through 
these stages more readily. 

INJURIES TO ARCHILLIS TENDO. 

This is the great tendon which passes from the muscles of the 
calf down to the heel, upon which it acts with the whole force of 
those muscles. It sometimes happens that by a sudden jerk, or vio- 
lent exertion, the tendon gets torn across, or ruptured, and great 
pain or lameness is the consequence. 

Treatment. — On the first occurrence of the accident, if swelling 
and inflammation ensues, apply three or four leeches, and encourage 
the bleeding for a time with warm fomentations, or a linseed poultice. 
Afterwards resort to cooling lotions, such as the F 12 - 

f ollowing : Liquor of acetate of lead and tincture 
of opium, of each two drachms ; common vinegar, 
one ounce ; distilled water, fifteen ounces ; keep 
lint or linen rag wet with this lotion constantly 
applied. When the inflammation has subsided, if 
there be still swelling and stiffness, rub in, night 
and morning, this liniment: strong liquor of 
ammonia and tincture of opium, of each, one 
drachm; spirits of turpentine and soap liniment, 
of each one ounce. If it is merely a strain of the 
tendon, a little rest and the above remedial meas- 
ures will soon afford a cure; but if a positive 
rupture, there may be much difficulty in getting the parts to unite. 
To accomplish this end, it is best to use a slipper with a strap attached 
to the heel, which, passing up and encircling the thigh, may be 
drawn tight and kept so, as in Fig. 125. During the process of uni- 
ting, if the patient walk at all, it should be with a crutch ; and after 
the cure has been effected, a high-heeled laced boot should be worn 
to protect the part. 

FOREIGN SUBSTANCES IN THE EYE. 

Pieces of metal and other bodies often fly into the eye, causing 
great pain. Draw down the lower lid with the fore finger of the left 




428 



OUR FAMILY DOCTOE. 



hand as in Fig. 126, and remove by a piece of moistened paper. If 
the substance be under the upper lid, place a bodkin across the lid, 
and draw back the lid so that it is completely inverted, as shown in 
Fig. 127. Inflammation is very apt to occur after these accidents. 

Fig. 126. Fig. 127. 





%/W(# 



The eye should be well bathed with warm water several times a day, 
and afterwards an eye-water may be used, made of a drachm of alum 
to a pint of water, two or three times a day. 

SPRAINS OR STRAINS. 

Sprains or strains are injuries done to ligaments, tendons, and other 
structures surrounding the joints. They are produced by jumping, 
falling, or other causes which forcibly stretch or lacerate them. The 
joints most liable to sprains are the wrist and ankle joints. The wrist 
joint becomes sprained in consequence of the arm being naturally 
thrown out by persons in falling to prevent their being seriously in- 
jured, by which means the whole weight of the body is thrown on the 
wrists, which not only sprain those joints, but sometimes fracture 
them. The ankle-joint is frequently sprained by jumping from a con- 
siderable height, or the foot turning under the weight of the body. 
Sprains are attended with great pain at the time of the accident, and 
also with considerable swelling and discoloration of the injured part ; 
the swelling and discoloration arising from the effusion of blood into 
the surrounding structures. The joints at first can be easily moved, 
but as the swelling and inflammation increase, all motions become 
painful, and the patient is unable to use the injured limb under any 
circumstance whatever. 

Treatment. — The injured limb must be kept in a perfect state of 
quietude, and in such a position as to relax the muscles in connection 
with the affected tendons, as well as to favor the return of the blood 



ACCIDENTS AND EMERGENCIES. 429 

to the heart. He must be kept in a recumbent position ; evaporating 
lotions should be kept constantly applied to the injured parts, by 
means of linen rags wetted in the following lotion, and which should 
be renewed as often as they become warm : — 

Take of goulard water, eight ounces ; gin, four ounces ; camphor 
mixture and mindererus spirit, of each two ounces ; make a lotion, 
which should be kept in a cool situation until required for use. Tinc- 
ture of arnica is an excellent application, or a poultice of arnica 
flowers. 

This practice should be continued for the first twenty-four or 
forty-eight hours ; after which period, should the swelling or pain 
increase, leeches may be freely applied to the parts affected, and the 
bleeding freely encouraged by means of a sponge and warm water 
constantly applied to the leech-bites. Hot fomentations should after- 
wards be applied by means of flannel wrung out of a decoction of 
camomile-flowers and poppy-heads, and the bowels kept in a free 
state by the following mixture : — Take of epsom or rochelle salts one 
ounce, antimonial wine half an ounce, mindererus spirit one ounce, 
syrup half an ounce, camphor mixture three ounces — mix. Two 
tablespoonfuls to be taken every three or four hours until the 
bowels are freely acted upon. By this treatment the disease will 
rapidly subside, and the parts will return to their usual healthy con- 
dition in persons of sound health. The patient should not be allowed 
to make use of his limb too soon, as the irritation and inflammation 
of the joint will be kept up, and thus he may suffer from it for 
months, or even years. When all signs of the disease have disap- 
peared, the motions of the part may be promoted by gentle exercise, 
and the following liniment may be rubbed night and morning: — 
Take of soap liniment one ounce, olive oil half an ounce, tincture of 
French flies half an ounce, mix ; the parts may be afterwards supported 
by a roller, or it may be found necessary to envelope them in straps 
of soap plaster, in addition to applying the bandage. 

BITES AND STINGS OF SNAKES, INSECTS, &c. 

Bites of serpents and venomous reptiles are sometimes very troub • 
lesome. As soon as the injury is received tie a piece of string tightly 
round the part as near as possible to the wound, and between it and 
the heart, to prevent the return of the blood to this organ. Wash 
well with warm water, and place one end of a large quill, or small 
tube, over the wound, and keep sucking at the other, which will 



430 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

produce a vacuum, and act as a cupping-glass. Then thoroughly 
suck the wound, or soak it in hot water, to encourage bleeding from 
it ; apply caustic, or cut out the bitten part, and give hot brandy and 
water, or some sal-volatile in water, as a stimulant to the nervous 
system. The most efficacious remedy, administered internally in 
India, is a draught composed of thirty drops of solution of arsenic, 
ten drops of tincture of opium, a table-spoonful of lemon or lime 
juice given in a wineglassful of water, or peppermint-water, and 
clysters administered to purge, until the symptoms abate. If the 
symptoms are slight, the swollen parts may be well rubbed with a 
liniment of oil, turpentine, and liquid ammonia ; also apply leeches 
and hot fomentations, with cordials to prevent fainting. 

For the bite of the rattle-snake, give large quantities of alcoholic 
drinks — gin or whiskey ; keep the body thoroughly saturated till the 
symptoms decline. 

BITES FROM INSECTS. 

Examine the parts with a magnifying glass, and extract the sting 
with a pair of pincers or forceps. Apply to the wound turpentine, 
hot vinegar, hartshorn, spirit, or eau de Cologne. Soap or camphor 
liniment may be used to remove any swelling that remains. For the 
bites of bugs, fleas, gnats, musquitoes, &c, the best remedy is eau de 
Cologne, or some spirits, to convert the itching into a slight smart- 
ing ; and the application of any strong perfume, such as lavender, a 
bitter infusion of quassia, wormwood, or gentian, will act as a preven- 
tive against their nightly visits. There are two great classes of insects 
which give rise to poisoned wounds : those which sting, as bees, wasps, 
hornets, ichneumons; those which suck, as the gnat, horse-fly, flea, 
bug, &c, and have a set of lancets at the mouth to pierce the skin. 

SPINAL WEAKNESS AND DEFORMITY. 

The weakness of the spine is generally connected with debility of 
constitution; the curvature of the spine, or the "growing out" at the 
system, and sometimes, from a habit of lolling about. 

Treatment. — Administer such medicines as will give tone to the 
muscular system, and invigorate the health, such as steel, quinine, 
or cod-liver oil ; aperients, if the bowels are confined. In the early 
stages other measures must consist of the shower-bath, with friction 
by means of a rough towel, sleeping on a mattress, exercise in the 
open air (short of fatigue), lying on the back after exercise, gym- 



■ 



ACCIDENTS AND EMERGENCIES. 431 

nastic exercise that shall bring into full play the weak side, and sea- 
bathing. If these means, steadily persevered in for some months, 
fail to do good, mechanical contrivances must be had recourse to 
under medical advice. 

WOUNDS. 

Wounds are either incised, lacerated, contused, or punctured. 
They are called incised wounds when they are made with a sharp cut- 
ting instrument, as when a shoemaker cuts himself with his knife, 
or a carpenter with his chisel. They are called lacerated when the 
flesh is torn, either by machinery, hooks, or other blunt instruments. 
Wounds are said to be contused when there is an irregular breach 
of surface, accompanied by injury and a bruised condition of the 
surrounding parts ; they are generally produced by falls or blows 
of blunt instruments. Punctured wounds are produced by the 
forcible entry of sharp instruments, such as bayonets, swords, scis- 
sors, hooks, or the pointed ends of broken bones. 

Incised Wounds. 

If has been observed before, that incised wounds consist of a 
mechanical division of the parts by a cutting instrument ; all, there- 
fore, that is necessary to be done, is to bring the edges of the wound 
nicely together, and maintain them in that position until union takes 
place. This is effected, if the wound be trifling, by means of straps 
of sticking-plaster, which should be so applied as to preserve the 
edges of the wound in apposition. Collodion answers admirably. 
If the wound be of considerable extent, and bleeds freely, the first 
thing to be done will be to arrest the haemorrhage ; this will be 
effected, if the bleeding vessels be small, by making pressure with a 
sponge for some considerable time. All extraneous matter should 
be cleared off, and the lips brought together ; a piece of lint should 
be dipped in the blood and placed over its edges. This is found to 
be an excellent application, as the blood in drying, in consequence of 
its adhesive qualities, seems to maintain the union of the edges of 
the wound. In the course of four or five days, the parts will be 
found to be united, unless some accidental circumstances, such as 
too great a degree of inflammation or an untimely meddling with 
the dressings, should occur. The strappings or dressings should 
on no account be disturbed before the fourth, fifth, or sixth day, 
unless the parts should be in great pain or much swollen. If the 



432 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

incision takes place about the cheeks or lips, or other parts which 
are unsupported, and where sticking-plaster could not be applied, it 
will be necessary to put in two or three sutures, according to the 
extent of the wound. Should the parts swell, a cooling lotion may 
be applied, such as goulard-water, and the bowels should be kept in 
a free state. Frequently the edges of the wound must be maintained 
in apposition by means of sutures. 

Sutures are for the purpose of holding together the edges of a 
wound in soft fleshy parts that are loose and movable, where stick- 
ing-plaster would not, of itself, hold sufficiently secure. They consist 
of stitches, from half to three-quarters of an inch apart, between which 
Fig. 128. strips of plaster are placed, and are not drawn out for 
several days if they do not irritate the part much ; but if 
they do, then they must only be continued one or two 
days. The needle should be threaded with silk or hemp 
thread well waxed and flattened. It should always be 
borne in mind that the edges of wounds are never to be 
drawn together with any degree of strain or force to the 
parts, as then the process of healing will not take place. 
In what is technically called the interrupted suture, a 
stitch is taken straight through the edges of the wound, 
as in ordinary sewing, and then knotted. In the twisted 
suture fine steel needles, with flattened points, are passed 
through the edges of the wound ; then silk is twisted in 
the figure of eight around them, as a boy twists his kite 
twine on a stick. It is better not to cut the silk, but con- 
tinue each end down to the next needle, and so on; secure the 
ends with a small knob of wax. Fig. 128 shows the mode of making 
and tying sutures. 

Lacerated Wounds. 

Lacerated wounds, in consequence of the great injury done to the 
parts, and from the fact of their not bleeding much, are very subject 
to active inflammation. If the wound be considerable and the parts 
much injured, the patient should enjoy perfect rest; the parts should 
be covered with cooling lotions (see Prescription recommended in 
Sprains), all dirt and extraneous substances being previously washed 
off; the bowels should be opened by the common black draught. 
If inflammation run high, leeches should be applied, and the bleeding 
encouraged by the application of hot water ; the cold lotion should 




ACCIDENTS AND EMEKGENCIES. 433 

now give way to fomentations and poultices ; the patient should live 
low. When the inflammation has subsided, the wound may be dressed 
with basilicon or Turner's cerate. Erysipelas frequently follows lace- 
rated wounds of the scalp; in this case the parts should be freely 
fomented with hot water, and the patient should take a fever mixture. 
Tetanus, lock-jaw, and spasm, often arise from lacerated wounds ; in 
such cases opium should be administered in doses suited to the 
age and circumstances of the patient. One grain might be given 
every three or four hours until relieved. 

Contused Wounds. 

Contused wounds will require the same treatment as that already 
described. Cold applications in the first instance, and if inflamma- 
tion sets in, leeches and hot fomentations. They generally terminate 
in suppuration and sloughing, or mortification of the parts, accord- 
ing to the extent of the injury. In order to expedite these processes, 
poultices of bread and water, or linseed-meal, should be applied three 
or four times a day, and when the abscess opens or the slough is 
thrown off, they are to be treated as common ulcers with basilicon 
or some other stimulating ointment, for the purpose of promoting 
healthy granulations, and thus healing them. During the active 
stage of inflammation, the patient should live sparingly ; but tonics, 
such as quinine, and a generous diet should be allowed under the 
stage of suppuration or sloughing. 

Punctured Wounds. 

Punctured wounds are extremely dangerous — much more so than 
the others already described. A punctured wound from a nail, hook, 
or any other pointed instrument, gives rise to inflammation of the 
absorbents (a set of vessels running from the wound into the neigh- 
boring glands), and is manifested by red lines taking the course of 
these vessels. Abscesses of the glands, and of other parts of the 
body, in their course, frequently ensue ; and if the matter be deep 
seated, such a degree of irritative fever is produced as to cause 
death. 

Lock-jaw (tetanus) and frightful convulsions are often the result 
of tendons or sinews receiving punctured wounds. In the first in- 
stance the puncture should be laid open with the lancet, cold lotions 
should then be applied, and if inflammation sets in, the parts should 
be covered with leeches according to the age and strength of the 



434 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

patient ; the diet should be sparing, fomentations and poultices should 
be constantly applied, and the limb should be supported on an in- 
clined plane, in order to favor the gravitation of the blood towards 
the body. All stimulating drink should be cut off. The bowels 
should be kept freely open, and the patient should observe perfect 
rest. As soon as matter has formed, it should be let out by free 
incisions with the lancet, after which the parts should be poulticed 
three or four times a day. In order to allay irritation and pain, and 
to procure sleep, great advantage will be derived from the adminis- 
tration of ten grains of Dover's powder, at bedtime. 

GUNSHOT WOUNDS. 

When a ball enters the body, the wound appears somewhat smaller 
than the ball itself; its edges are ragged and inverted, and the part 
around has a bluish or black color from the bruise. When it passes 
through the part, the aperture by which it makes its exit presents 
quite a different appearance. It seems somewhat larger than the 
ball, the edges are everted, and there is little discoloration about the 
wound. 

Treatment. — Excessive bleeding is not so common after gunshot 
wounds as after other kinds ; but it sometimes occurs, and may be 
fatal if not attended to. Where it can be done, the finger should be 
inserted into the wound, and pressed upon the vessel, otherwise a 
handkerchief should be tied very tightly round the limb above the 
wound. It is well to examine the wound as early as possible, in 
order to ascertain the amount of injury ; at least, so far as this can 
be done without aggravating the case. The ball or other foreign 
substance ought to be removed, if that can be easily effected; but 
otherwise, it ought, in the mean time, to be let alone. As the walls 
of the wound slough and suppurate, the opening will become larger, 
and it may then fall out or be easily removed. Sometimes it may 
remain embedded in the tissues, without producing much or any 
inconvenience. If, after the sloughing and suppuration, the ball 
remains fixed, and if much irritation continues to be excited, and 
abscesses form about its track, then it may be necessary to find out 
its seat, and use every means to remove it. The simplest dressings 
should only at first be applied ; sponge and bathe well with water, 
to stop bleeding and cleanse the wound ; then apply a piece of lint 
crossed by strips of plaster. The agitation of the patient should be 
soothed by a few spoonfuls of wine or spirits ; but, if he suffer much 



^H 



ACCIDENTS AND EMEEGENCIES. 435 

in his mind, an opiate may be administered. Afterwards wet a few 
folds of linen with a simple lotion, apply it to the part, and lightly 
bandage. Keep the patient quiet, and let him remain in bed. A few 
days after, moisten the clothes with warm water, and remove them. 
Inflammation will now have set in ; if the patient can bear it without 
producing a chilly sensation, dress it with cold water. On suppur- 
ation being well established, apply mild stimulating lotions, or poul- 
tices, and bandages. When matter forms beneath, it must be let 
out by the knife if poultices will not do it; its accumulation may 
often be prevented by compression. Low diet, purging medicine, 
and quiet, are great assistants to recovery. If the party be stout or 
in full habit, and the wound severe, then it must be bled. Leeches 
will allay the inflammation, and if there be much pain, opiates should 
be given at night. Pieces of clothing or wadding should be extracted 
from the wound. If a ball lodges in a bone, it may require a chisel 
to remove it. If a bone be severely splintered, then amputation 
becomes necessary. 

THORNS, &c, IN THE FLESH. 

It is very common for the hands, feet, or legs to be pierced by the 
forcible intrusion of small pointed substances, as thorns of roses, 
thistles, &c. If such be immediately and entirely extracted, the 
accident is seldom attended with bad consequences ; but if any such 
pointed substance penetrates the body, or even a part of it be left in 
the flesh, it causes inflammation, and sometimes a considerable 
abscess. 

Treatment. — If the thorn, &c, can be taken hold of easily, remove 
it with a pair of forceps ; if not within reach, apply a bread-and-water 
poultice, and continue to do so until the intruder is removed. If 
suppuration has not been prevented by the immediate extraction of 
the offending substance, the abscess caused thereby should be opened 
immediately it has formed. Sometimes the thorn, after painfully 
penetrating through the skin, enters directly into the fat, upon which 
the pain ceases, and the patient begins to congratulate himself that 
the cause is removed. Nevertheless, some days afterwards — or in 
other instances, some weeks — fresh pains are excited, followed by 
inflammation and an abscess. This condition is to be treated with 
bread-and-milk poultices and seasonably opened. Instances have 
been known of persons being compelled to lose their hands, limbs, &c, 
through neglecting precautionary measures in these accidents. 



436 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

CRUSHES OR JAMS. 

If the part be so severely injured as to threaten sloughing, or a 
separation of the flesh from the bone, tepid water or poppy fomen- 
tation should be applied. Tincture of benzoin, or Friar's balsam, 
on lint, is highly useful, sealing up the wound, as it were, from the 
contact of air, and disposing it to heal. If the fingers or toes have 
been severely crushed so that it may seem impossible to save them, 
they should not be too hastily amputated, as they often recover under 
favorable circumstances, long continued rest being very essential. 
In other and more simple cases, apply a bread-and-water poultice, or 
a piece of folded linen rag, or spongio piline dipped in cold water. 
If there be pain, heat, redness, swelling, or throbbing, then there is 
inflammation or the formation of matter; keep applying cold-water 
fomentations for the first thirty-six hours, all bandages being lightly 
tied ; after that time put the part in a hot-water bath, or foment with 
hot water and apply poultices. Openings are to be made, if necessary, 
to prevent the lodgment of putrid blood and matter. 

CUPPING-. 

Cupping is the application of cupping-glasses, from which the air 
has been previously extracted, to the skin, with the view of attracting 
blood to the part, and, if necessary, abstracting it. Dry or wet cups 
(that is, without cutting, or after using the scarificator) are very use- 
ful means of drawing blood. If the part to which the application is 
to be made has hair upon it, it should be freshly shaven, and then 
moistened in warm water. A portable spirit-lamp is to be made by 
a bit of sponge, or rag, wound on a piece of stick, and dipped in alco- 
hol. The cup is to be brought near the patient, then quickly placed 
over the flaming sponge, and rapidly applied. After suffering the 
cup to remain a few minutes, it is withdrawn by depressing one edge, 
and the part scarified. The cup is then re-applied. 

If no scarificator can be had, a few cuts with a sharp lancet will 
answer the purpose, and the place of cups may be supplied with a 
small tumbler. Good brandy can be substituted for alcohol 

After the operation, the wounds should be closed with lint and 
plaster, and pressure should be kept on the part for some days, in 
order to prevent secondary haemorrhage. Cupping is preferable to 
any other method of blood-letting in many kinds of inflammatory 
disease. 



ACCIDENTS AND EMEKGENCIES. 437 

VACCINATION. 

In the minds of many persons there is a great prejudice against 
this operation, and they will often risk the legal punishment due to 
them for evading the law, rather than submit their children to it ; but 
if they were better informed they would not so act. The statistics 
of different visitations of smallpox show that the mortality of those 
attacked who have not been vaccinated is one in four, whilst those 
who have, it is not one in four hundred and fifty, — a strong argu- 
ment this for vaccination. The operation is usually performed by 
making an oblique puncture through the epidermis and introducing 
a portion of the virus on the point of the lancet or needle„ If the 
operation has been successful, a small inflamed spot is discernible 
about the third or fourth day. This increases in size, becomes hard 
and elevated, and about the sixth day a small quantity of fluid may 
be distinguished in the centre. About the eighth day, when the pus- 
tule is fully formed, the constitutional effects begin to appear — head- 
ache, shivering, loss of appetite, &c, which gradually subside in one 
or two days. Afterwards the fluid dries up, and a dark brown scab 
forms, which remains for about a fortnight, and on disappearing 
leaves a depression. It is a disputed point whether the effects of 
vaccination are permanent or whether they disappear after a certain 
time. The majority seem to be in favor of the latter opinion, at least 
to the extent of recommending that persons who have been vaccin- 
ated in infancy should be re-vaccinated on attaining maturity. From 
the operation being imperfectly performed, or from other causes not 
well understood, vaccination does not in all cases afford absolute 
immunity from the disease ; but in those cases in which it does occur 
it is almost always in a very mitigated form. 

HOW TO APPLY LEECHES. 

The part and the leeches also should be carefully wiped, and if to 
be confined to a particular spot, put them into a wineglass or pill- 
box, and hold over the part until they bite. If they are put on by 
hand, hold their tails with a wet cloth; should they not bite, put 
them into cold water for a short period. If the part be moistened 
with sugar and water, cream, sweet beer, or prick slightly, so as to 
draw blood, will often induce them to take. When they fall off full, 
put them on a plate, and sprinkle salt over them, or take them by 
the tail and draw them through the thumb and finger, that the blood 
may be thoroughly pressed out, which will squirt from them. Put 



4:38 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

them into plenty of cold water, that they may wash themselves well ; 
then place them in a jar with a little moss, and cover it with a piece 
of muslin, and keep them in a cool place. After bleeding with leeches, 
sponge off the clotted blood, and put on a bread-and-water poultice, 
which renew every half hour, to encourage the flow of blood. Should 
the leech-bites not heal but continue bleeding, so that the person 
becomes faint, and the lips and face pale, make pressure with the 
finger over the spot, or apply caustic. If these means fail, take a 
strong needle and thrust it through the skin on each side of the 
wound ; that is, right through the bite ; then wind a piece of thread 
— silk, if at hand — round and round the wound, under the ends of 
the needle. This will raise it up like a small spot; in twenty-four 
hours cut the silk, and carefully draw out the needle. Try a small 
piece of lint, dipped in the tincture of iron, pressed on the bite for a 
few minutes, or a leaf of the Indian hemp. Never put them on the 
eyelids. If leeches stick too long, never pull them off, but touch 
them with salt. 

HOW TO DRAW TEETH. 

The single teeth may be easily extracted by grasping them firmly, 
and as low down on the gum as possible, with a small pair of pliers 
or forceps. Do not press heavily on the sides of the tooth, or it 
may be crushed or broken off; give a rotatory motion at the same 
time. The double teeth are generally drawn with an instrument 
dentists call a key instrument ; this has a claw to seize the tooth and 
press it against a bolster, it then acts as a lever ; but with a strong 
and steady hand, most of the teeth may be drawn out with the 
forceps. 

After a tooth has been drawn, sometimes a severe bleeding takes 
place from an artery; to arrest this, try a strong solution of nitrate 
of silver or powder of Indian hemp ; if this be not successful, clear 
the hole of the clotted blood, and press into it a piece of lint, made 
thin at the end, so that it may reach the very bottom, fill it with lint 
the height of the gum, then put upon it a bit of cork, or a few folds 
of linen, so that when the mouth is closed the teeth opposite the hole 
may rest upon it, then bandage over the chin to the top of the head, 
to keep it firm 

ISSUES. 

Sometimes it is necessary to create these ulcers -to draw matter 
away from certain parts. The skin and fat are nipped up between 



ACCIDENTS AND EMEKGENCIES. 439 

the finger and thumb, and then divided with a lancet so as to admit 
a pea, instead of cutting ; the sore is sometimes made with a blister 
or caustic, and the pea is smeared in ointment of yellow resin. The 
pea is held in its place with common diachylon plaster. If inflam- 
mation appear, aperient medicines must be given, and the issue 
dressed with ointment of wax. 

HOW TO AVOID ACCIDENTS. 

Although we can not altogether prevent accidents, yet we may 
with a little ordinary prudence, lessen the chance of their occurrence, 
and an observance of the following simple rules will assist us to 
do so: — 

1. Be very cautious when on the water, or in its vicinity; more 
sudden deaths occur by drowning, and more diseases originate from 
colds caught by immersion and exposure in wet habiliments, than 
perhaps from all other causes put together; therefore be careful, if 
in a boat, to remain still, and so as not to destroy the equilibrium 
of yourself or the boat; be cautious of hoisting a sail in squally 
weather, and give a wide berth to any advancing vessel. Step not 
from one unsteady boat to another, or on to a floating pier, nor walk 
across a narrow plank without securing good hold on some support. 
When on land, step not too near the brink of a lake or river ; it may 
be loose and crumbly, or a sudden gust of wind may cause you to 
lose your balance. When bathing, beware of eddies in the current, 
especially if you can not swim ; do not venture beyond your depth 
in the latter case without such support as corks or bladders, and in 
no case attempt to bathe when in a heated state, or immediately after 
a full meal. 

2. Do not stand beneath a tree in a thunder-storm, or by an iron 
palisade or spout, whether of iron, zinc, or lead ; go not very near 
lightning conductors, tall chimneys, or lofty erections of any kind. 
If in the house, keep away from the fireplace, looking-glasses, and 
windows, whether open or shut, as well as from doorways through 
which the electric fluid might escape, if it entered by the chimney. 
A bed in the middle of the room is the safest place, as blankets and 
sheets are non-conductors. 

3. Loaded firearms should be put in safe places, out of the reach 
of children ; never play with them, and pretend to fire them at any 
one. Do not keep guns or pistols loaded at all, unless you have 
some particular occasion for it. When carrying a gun let the muzzle 



440 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

be always pointed toward the ground, and, if you have occasion to 
pass it through a hedge or fence, look that there is no one in line 
with the barrel in the direction in which it points. Do not overload 
a piece, nor fire it with a foul barrel. Be very careful of gunpowder, 
and by no means smoke a pipe or cigar when you have much about 
or near you. 

4. Do not sleep near lime-kilns, nor lay by burning charcoal. If 
drowsiness should come on while in such situations, leave them, and 
go out into the fresh air. 

5. In felling trees, keep out of the line in which they are likely 
to fall. 

6. In severe weather, if obliged to be exposed to the cold, do not 
lie down to sleep, although you may feel an inclination to do so. 
Keep moving about while you have power, and apply friction to the 
numbed parts of the body ; take up some snow in the hands, and 
rub them well together. When in a partially frozen condition, you 
have an opportunity of approaching a fire, do not so too hastily, but 
get into a higher temperature by degrees. 

7. Beware of damp beds, and of clothes damp with perspiration, 
especially of sitting in them in a cold atmosphere, or in a draught of 
air from an open window. Clothes from the wash should always be 
well aired, and such as have been long out of wear, especially if kept 
in a room without a fire. Beware also of new buildings, of which 
the walls are not sufficiently dry; if they "sweat," as it is technically 
called, they are unfit for habitation. 

8. Go not into vaults or cellars that have been long closed, or wells 
or other confined places, until you have introduced a lighted candle 
therein. If the flame burns brightly, you may be sure there is no 
excess of carbonic acid gas ; if it goes out, or burns dimly, the air is 
unfit to breathe. Throw in some lime-water to neutralize the carbonic 
acid, and introduce fresh air as soon as possible. 

9. Let all horses, draught or saddle, be secured before leaving 
them, and beware of vicious horses, some of which will bite as well 
as kick. Be cautious of an animal whose disposition you do not 
know. Bulls and boars are uncertain, and dangerous, and strange 
dogs are not to be trusted; the bite, and even the scratch of a cat 
has resulted fatally. 

10. In nurseries and other places where there are children, always 
keep iron guards before the fires ; and even then, do not leave the 
children by themselves, on account of their well-known propensity 



ACCIDENTS AND EMEEGENCIES. 441 

to play with fire. For the same reason leave them not alone with 
lamps or lighted candles, and put lucifer matches out of their reach, 
and also kettles, or any vessels containing hot water. 

11. Never allow open candles to be carried about the house by 
servants or children ; and if light is burned in the night, place it so 
that the flame could not, were it to fall aside, come in contact with 
any combustible materials. Turn off singly the taps of all gas-burners. 
If you smell an escape of gas, do not approach the place where it is 
likely to be taking place with a lighted candle until plenty of air 
has been admitted. 

12. Put a label with the word Poison on all bottles and packets 
containing corrosive or other preparations of a hurtful character; 
and even when so labeled, do not let them be about in the way of 
children or ignorant persons. If there is occasion to place rat or 
beetle poison in the house, let it be in out-of-the-way places, and be 
careful to take it up and destroy it in a short time, should it not be 
taken by the animals it is designed to destroy. 

Many other cautions might be given. We might speak of leaving 
trap and other doors open, and wells uncovered ; of leaning too far 
out of windows; of chopping and sawing wood, and using edged 
tools of any kind in a careless manner ; but it is scarcely necessary 
to occupy our space by mentioning these, although they all contribute 
to swell the chapter of accidents which forms part of the history of 
every life. 

WENS. 

A wen is a tumor mostly situated on the head or neck, and con- 
taining a suetty or curd-like substance. They are usually harmless ; 
and, except from their situation and unsightliness, do not require 
interfering with. 

Treatment. — The most certain mode of proceeding is their being 
extirpated by a surgeon ; the operation is neither difficult nor 
dangerous. 

1. Take of the compound tincture of iodine, from five to ten drops 
three times a day in a little water. Apply also the following oint- 
ment night and morning: iodide of potassium, one drachm, to be 
rubbed very fine and dissolved with a few drops of water ; lard, one 
ounce ; camphor (finely powdered), half a drachm. Mix. 

2. Paint the wen over with the compound tincture of iodine for a 
time, and afterwards bathe it with the following lotion : muriate of 



442 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

ammonia, half an ounce; spirits of wine, one ounce; elder-flower 
water, three ounces. Mix. 

3. Dissolve forty-eight grains of iodine in one ounce of pure spirits 
of wine. Give to an adult ten drops of this tincture in half a wine- 
glassful of capilliare and water every morning fasting, give a second 
dose at ten o'clock, and a third at bedtime. At the end of the 
first week the dose may be increased to fifteen drops three times a 
day, and a week afterwards to twenty drops. 

WHITLOWS. 

"Whitlow is an inflammation of the extremity of the fingers, which 
is usually caused by a small quantity of humor being stagnant in that 
part, — whether this has happened in consequence of a bruise, a sting, 
or a bite. 

Treatment. — As soon as the disorder is manifest plunge the finger 
affected into water as warm as can be borne, and keep it there for 
some time, adding hot water every now and then to keep it the de- 
sired heat; also direct the steam of the hot water into it; doing it 
constantly for the first day, will often dry the whitlow away. Or, 
apply to the whitlow compression with the hand in a degree which 
can be easily borne, with the view of preventing the formation of 
matter, then bind it round with a narrow fillet. Repeat this three 
or four times in the course of two days, when in all probability the 
pain and swelling will disappear, leaving a single speck of matter at 
the point of the finger, immediately under the skin. If vent be 
given to this by the slightest touch of the needle, the wound will 
heal up immediately. When an abscess can not be prevented, a poul- 
tice of bread and milk should be applied to favor the formation of 
matter, and as soon as the abscess is ripe, or what is termed "come 
to a head," it must be opened with a lancet*; afterwards dress the 
wound with tincture of calendula. 

RUPTURE {Hernia). 

Children and old people are most liable to this, though sometimes 
they occur to persons of middle age. If difficult, or impossible to 
be returned, it is called strangulated rupture, and requires the best 
assistance. 

Causes. — In children, excessive crying, coughing, vomiting, or 
the like. In adults, it is commonly the effects of blows, or violent 
exertions of the strength, as leaping, carrying great weights, &c. In 



ACCIDENTS AND EMEKGENCIES. 443 

both, a relaxed habit, indolence, and an oily or moist diet, dispose 
the body to this affliction, by weakening the skin. 

Symptoms. — The outer part of the belly cracks, or tears, and a part 
of the gut protrudes through the aperture. 

Treatment. — The patient must be laid on the back, the head low, 
and the buttocks raised ; while in this position the gut must be re- 
turned by a gentle pressure, if it does not fall back of itself. After 
it is returned, a piece of sticking-plaster may be applied over the 
part, and a truss, or bandage, worn for a length of time. If it has 
been forced down with great violence, or happens from any cause to 
become inflamed, it is often very difficult to return it, and sometimes 
impracticable, without an operation, a description of which is foreign 
to our purpose, but in those cases, until some assistance can be ob- 
tained, act as follows : foment with warm fomentations ; give clysters ; 
then when the bowels have emptied, the operator must press and 
guide the gut back through the aperture, if possible to do so. An 
adult, after being ruptured, should never neglect wearing the proper 
truss. 

FISTULA. 

This is an abscess degenerating into an ulcer near the anus^ which 
ulcer has often a connection with the lower gut. 

Causes. — Persons who follow occupations constantly sitting, are 
most liable to them ; they are also produced by blows over the part, 
sometimes intemperance. 

Symptoms. — A painful gathering takes place near the fundament, 
forming an abscess, which sometimes requires cutting, and then 
forms what is called a sinous ulcer. 

Treatment. — Sometimes a cure will be effected by attending to 
the general health, and the injection of some astringent lotion, as 
solution of sulphate of zinc (forty grains to one pint of water). Fail- 
ing this, it will be necessary to make a complete division with the 
knife of the whole of the parts between the fistula and the bowel, 
and the edges of the wound kept apart by lint, in order to allow the 
cavity to fill up by granulation. 

POISONS AND THEIK ANTIDOTES. 

So many substances of a poisonous nature being used in manu- 
factures amongst farmers, and also in private houses, it will be use- 
ful to have a guide to refer to in case of accident; for, in almost 
every case of poisoning, the remedy must be given immediately, or 



444 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

we can not expect to succeed. We give here the names in common 
use, and under one head we include various articles made from the 
same substance. For instance, to the word Mercury, you find 
calomel, corrosive sublimate, white percipitate, vermillion, which are 
all mercury, but in different forms. 

As a general rule, in all cases of poisoning, especially if seen 
immediately after the poison has been swallowed, the person should 
be made to vomit. To accomplish this give a teaspoonful of mus- 
tard in a tumbler of warm water; or two or three teaspoonfuls of 
alum in the same way. 

ARSENIC — {Scheeles green, ague-drops, rat-poison, <£c.) 

Symptoms. — Pain and burning heat of stomach, dryness of throat, 
cramps, purging, vomiting. 

Treatment. — Give large quantities of milk, and raw eggs, lime 
water, or flour and water ; then castor-oil. 

ANTIMONY — {Butter of antimony, tartar emetic, <bc.) 

Symptoms. — Severe vomiting, cramps, faintness, purging. 

Treatment. — Plenty of strong tea. If you have no common tea 
at hand, use an infusion of oak, elm, currant, or blackberry bark or 
leaves. Or for butter of antimony, use the treatment given below 
for Acids. Support the strength. 

ACIDS — (Oxalic, sulphuric (oil of vitriol), nitric (aquafortis), 
muriatic (spirit of salt), but not pr us sic acid.) 

Symptoms. — Horrible burning, sour pain from the mouth down- 
wards. The skin of the lips, mouth, and throat, is dissolved. Purg- 
ing of blood, great thirst. 

Treatment. — Put an ounce of calcined magnesia into a pint of 
water, and give a wineglassful every two or three minutes. If the 
magnesia is not ready, use whiting, chalk, soda, or lime-water, or 
knock a piece of plaster off the wall, pound it small, and give it in 
milk or water. While one person attends to this, let another cut 
some common soap into small bits, and give a teaspoonful with 
water, or a tablespoonful of soft soap. Give plenty of warm water 
to drink. 

BAD FISH — {Mussels, c&c.) 

Symptoms. — Pain in stomach, headache, flushed face, feeling of 
choking, perhaps scarlet eruption of the skin. 



ACCIDENTS AND EMEKGENCIES. 445 

Treatment. — Empty the stomach by an emetic (as in poisoning by 
laudanum), then give a full dose of castor-oil with some warm spice. 
A mustard-plaster to the pit of stomach if needful. 

CHLORIDE OF TIN {called Muriate by dyers). 

Symptoms. — Vomiting, pain in the stomach, purging, convulsive 
twitching. 

Treatment. — Give large quantities of milk, with magnesia, chalk, 
or whiting in it ; also raw eggs beaten up with water or milk. 

CHLORIDE OF ZINC {Burnett's disinfecting fluid, white vitriol). 

Symptoms. — Same as chloride of tin. 

Treatment. — Plenty of milk, with the whites of eggs in it. 

COPPER {blue copperas, blue verditer, mineral green, verdigris, 

flood or confectionery cooked in foul copper vessels, pickles made 

green by copper). 

Symptoms. — Coppery taste in the mouth, tongue dry and parched, 
very painful colic, bloody motions. 

Treatment. — Large quantities of milk and the whites of eggs, after- 
wards strong tea. Don't give vinegar. 

CORROSIVE SUBLIMATE {see Mercury). 

COCULUS INDICUS {see Poisonous T*lants). 

GREEN VITRIOm {sulphate ofl iron). 

Symptoms. — Pain, sickness, burning heat of the stomach. 
Treatment. — Give an emetic, afterwards magnesia or carbonate of 
soda and water. 

IODINE {iodide of potassium, or soda, or iron). 

Symptoms. — Burning pain in the throat, heartburn, vomiting, very 
likely salivation. 

Treatment. — Large quantities of cold starch and water, or flour 
and water. 

LEAD {acetate or sugar ofl lead, red lead, white lead). 

Symptoms. — If taken in large quantities, metallic taste in the 
mouth, pain in the stomach, painful vomiting, often bloody, and 
hiccough. 



446 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

Treatment. — Put two ounces of Epsom salts into a pint of water, 
and give a wineglassful every ten minutes, till it operates freely. 
Taken in small quantities, either by drinking water out of a new 
lead cistern, or one newly repaired with white lead, or by working 
amongst it ; lead produces colic, loss of power in the limbs, espe- 
cially wrist-drop, and a blue line along the gums. 

LAUDANUM (opium, paregoric, soothing syrup, syrup of poppies). 

Symptoms. — Giddiness, stupor, gradually increasing into deep sleep, 
the pupil of the eye very small, lips blue, skin cold, heavy, slow 
breathing. 

Treatment. — Empty the stomach as quickly as possible by vomit- 
ing. For an adult give fifteen grains of sulphate of zinc in a little 
water ; to a young person half the quantity, to an infant a teaspoon- 
ful of the syrup of ipecac. If you can not get drugs, use mustard and 
warm water, salt and water, and tickle the top of the throat. After 
vomiting give plenty of very strong coffee, put a mustard plaster 
round the calf of each leg, and if cold and sinking give a good 
quantity of spirit and water. Keep the patient roused till the effect 
has passed off by beating the soles of the feet, walking him about, 
or dashing cold water on the face. Remember if the patient goes to 
sleep at this stage, it will be the sleep of death. 

LUNAR CAUSTIC {nitrate of silver). 

Lunar caustic, or nitrate of silver, has been swallowed by acci- 
dent when used for touching a sore throat, &c. 

Symptoms. — Burning pain, similar to arsenic. 

Treatment. — Give a large teaspoonful of common salt in a glass 
of water, and repeat this every ten minutes. Then give a dose of 
castor-oil, and linseed-tea, or barley-water, for a drink. 

MERCURY (calomel, corrosive sublimate, red precipitate, Ver- 
million, <fcc.) 

Symptoms. — Metallic taste in mouth, burning pain in the throat, 
stomach, and bowels, vomiting, very painful purging, and cramps. 

Treatment. — Give the white of an egg in a little water, repeat this 
twice more with five minutes between each time, give large quanti- 
ties of milk or flour and water, then linseed-tea. 

NITRE, OR SALTPETRE. 

Symptoms. — Similar to arsenic. 

Treatment. — Give plenty of flour and water, then linseed or sweet oil 



ACCIDENTS AND EMERGENCIES. 447 

OPIUM {see Laudanum). 

PHOSPHORUS (lucifer matches). 

Symptoms. — Great excitement of the whole system ; other effects 
like arsenic. 

Treatment. — Give large quantities of warm water with magnesia, 
chalk, or whiting, or even flour, stirred in it ; encourage vomiting, 
but give no oil or fat of any description. 

POISONOUS PLANTS OR SEEDS. 

False mushrooms, or anything of the kind picked up by children, 
but which you can not tell at the time. 

Treatment. — Empty the stomach by any emetic you have at hand : 
warm water, mustard, salt, or soap, warm chamomile tea, &c. If 
there be no purging, give a good dose of castor-oil or olive-oil. If 
the patient be faint or sinking, give stimulants. 

POTASH {soda, ammonia, sal-volatile, salt-cake, disinfecting fluids 
of concentrated solutions of soda or potash). 

Symptoms. — Heat, pain in stomach, vomiting, and purging. 
Treatment. — Vinegar and water, oranges, lemons, sour beer or 
cider, or sour fruit. Afterwards, olive, Unseed, or any wholesome oil. 

PRUSSIC ACID {oil of bitter almonds, laurel-water, cyanide of 
potassium, used by photographers and others). 

Symptoms. — If the quantity be large, death takes place instantly, 
but smaller quantities produce giddiness loss of sight and fainting. 
The peculiar smell is often perceptible about the mouth. 

Treatment. — Give sal-volatile and water, and apply a bottle of 
smelling-salts to the nose, dash cold water on the face, and give stim- 
ulants. 

STRYCHNINE {rat poison, <fcc, nux vomica). 

Symptoms. — There is lock-jaw, twitching of the muscles, convul- 
sions, the body is bent backwards, so as to rest upon the feet and 
head only. 

Treatment. — Try to empty the stomach by an emetic ; then give 
linseed-tea or barley-water, and to an adult thirty drops of laudanum 
occasionally to relieve the spasms. There are other remedies, but 
not such as can be used without a doctor being present. 



448 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

TARTAR EMETIC (see Antimony). 

ZINC OXIDE. 

Symptoms and Treatment. — As in copper. 

IRON (Sulphate of iron, or copperas, or green vitriol). 

Symptoms. — Colic pains ; constant vomiting and purging ; violent 
pain in the throat, with tension of the Epigastrium. Indeed all the 
symptoms of irritant poisoning. 

Treatment. — Magnesia or the alkaline carbonates should be given 
largely. 

Antidote. — Carbonate of soda. 

IVY POISONING. 

Apply soft soap freely to the affected parts ; or bathe the poisoned 
skin frequently with weak tincture of belladonna. 

Hartshorn gives almost instant relief from the effects of the poi- 
sonous bites of all insects, vermin, and reptiles, by bathing the parts 
bitten very freely. 

Always bear in mind that cases of poisoning admit of no delay. In 
many diseases and accidents an hour or two may be of no conse- 
quence, but here we must think of minutes, and the life or death of 
the patient will depend how you employ them. 



_^B 



PRESERVATION OF HEALTH AND GUIDE TO LONG LIFE. 449 



PART V. 



Hygiene, The Pbesekvation of Health, and 
Guide to Long Liee. 



Equally important to the cure of ill health is the preservation of 
sound health. The first interruption to health is most usually a 
disturbance of the stomach. Indigestion may commence in the 
earliest periods of infancy; there, however, the fault rests not with 
the patient but the nurse. 

Many a person's health has been ruined by injudicious nursing du- 
ring infancy. Early gormandizing, stuffing of sweets, and late hours, 
tend much to weaken the digestive organs of life. A greedy child 
seldom makes a healthy man. Children should have a diet suited to 
their juvenile stomachs, — should have an appropriate table to them- 
selves, — and should keep appropriate hours. 

Mixed dishes, rich soups, confectionery, strong drinks, staying up 
late at night, neglect of exercise, and a residence in a close and con- 
fined atmosphere, engender the germs of future discomfort and dis- 
ease as surely as the grain deposited in the field yields, in due course, 
its natural produce. These peccadilloes may succumb, however, to 
a few surfeits ; and an illness or two causes the mother to be more 
careful, till the stripling is packed off to school, or arrives at what 
are called years of discretion, when possibly, he is left to shift for 
himself. A fire or flood has a beginning — so has a complaint. Death 
rarely visits us without some premonitory symptoms, any more than 
the flames burst forth or the waters rise without a previous (albeit 
short) warning; and there are few forms of failing health but may 
be traced to incautious or reprehensible conduct. 

Hard and coarse, or rich and sumptuous living, excessive fatigue, 
in-door imprisonment, or loose abandonment and unchecked idleness, 



450 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

small tipplings and stolen smokings, or downright drunkenness and 
an everlasting tobacco-breath, all tend to bring about the state of 
health in question. These phenomena constitute a powerful array 
of provocations, but there is yet another underplot of as vast a mag- 
nitude and as deadly a tendency, which, to omit mention of, would 
be neglecting a most important duty. 

Man is not merely an eating animal, and consequently there are 
other ways of wasting life than by overworking the stomach. It were 
a curious inquiry to seek to know how the abuse of the separate 
powers of the body can derange the whole, or bring our days to a 
premature termination ; but it does, and we must be content to go 
along with the progress of the times, and catch our information 
as it comes. 

There are other kinds of depressing habits, besides free living 
and intemperance — besides rioting and the common vices of street 
and tavern life — besides the devotion to hard study or hard work, or 
the addiction to perpetual pleasure-seeking — besides the unreined 
indulgencies commenced by the votaries of licentiousness and dissi- 
pation, scarcely with the down of manhood on the chin — we mean the 
still earlier delinquencies of the youthful sensualist, acquired pos- 
sibly before his palate may have known other than the taste of water, 
or his thoughts have strayed from the belief that the other sex dif- 
fered from himself, but who, on the initiation or discovery of the 
new-found pleasure, knows no limit to its gratification. This delusive 
infatuation is personal sensuality. 

The evil does exist, and most fearfully does it jprevail; if, however, 
it were unattended with any injury to health, all this tirade might 
be unnecessary, might indeed be considered obtrusive, might be 
looked upon as impertinent ; for surely what is practised in quiet — 
what is unseen — can offend no one, else many of the habits of life 
might shock the delicate and refined; but alas! the injury is not 
only of the passing hour, it is of the age to come, and it is fitting 
that if the deluded be careless of themselves, they have no right to 
inflict injury on their successors. 

This evil has its commencement in earliest life. The secret is 
acquired by example, or not unfrequently is disclosed by a liaison 
of Nature herself. Sooner or later, however, if untaught, it forms a 
part of the natural impulses, and is developed with growing years. 
The act, which is afterwards resorted to, holds such fascinating influ- 
ence over a youthful mind that the culprit conceives he has discov- 



PKESERVATION OF HEALTH AND GUIDE TO LONG LIFE. 451 

ered the climax of earthly enjoyment, and hermitizes himself on every 
occasion for its realization. The maturer mind, yet unacquainted 
with its desolating tendency, and whom fear, prudence, or ineligibility 
forbids sharing his fortunes and his happiness with a suitable com- 
panion, hails it as the refuge for the destitute, and gradually pros- 
trates his dignity in the homage of his baseness. 

The sinfulness of falsehood, of idolatry, and of crime was tableted 
on stone and exhibited on the Mount to the righteous and the rene- 
gade ; and shall a violation of the compact which ties man to his 
posterity, between Nature and her children, of not less enormity, 
escape rebuke or not be forbidden? It is the stumbling-block of 
nine-tenths of mankind, and (why should the charge be withheld?) 
not a few of woman-kind ; it is the secret worm that gnaws at the 
heart — that saps the trunk of its sustenance, and robs the soul of its 
nobleness and godlike power; and shall we, generation after gene- 
ration, hide our knowledge of this demon poison, blush to admit 
our cognizance of its existence, and suffer it to go on undermining 
the sapling mind of man, and blast the else luxuriant produce before 
the meridian of existence be arrived at? 

Having described the principal besetting propensities of early life, 
and which it requires no very lengthened argument to prove lead 
to the break-up of the healthiest constitution, it follows that what 
has been pointed out as productive of ill health should be avoided. 

Bad habits must be overcome with a resolute will. Determined 
resolution is all that is required. Nature will assuredly assist in the 
attempt. If a man find that by eating less, by avoiding stimulative 
drinks, by shunning bad habits, and by adopting a simple mode of 
living, he becomes better in health, and in reality feels the comfort 
of living free from uneasiness, and what is equally important, sleep- 
ing free from fright, he must indeed be a simpleton if he can not 
control his appetites and keep to his new regulations. What can be 
more fearful than a night spent in restlessness, in tossing and twist- 
ing, in hideous dreams, with the necessity of turning out at a fixed 
hour , in the morning, unrefreshed, and with onerous duties to go 
through during the day? What can be more depressing than to feel 
one's self incompetent for those very duties — to be harassed with, 
possibly, headache, with languor, with depression, with positive 
debility, with real nervousness — to know that what we have to do 
must, or at least ought to be done ; that probably on its success 
depends our position in life ; and yet, despite all our energies and 



452 OUR FAMILY DOCTOE. 

conditions of its necessity, we find ourselves thoroughly incompe- 
tent to get through the day's work? Admitting all this, it is surely 
worth the experiment — and the success of it may be guaranteed — 
of trying, or rather determining, to live according to the new 
regimen. 

"We now enter on the consideration of "How to live ! " " What to 
eat, drink* and avoid!" and on the various other observances the 
invalid, however indisposed he may be to adopt, finds it imperative 
to submit to. 

DIET. 

Without we eat and drink, we die! The provocative to do both 
rests with the appetite, which, in proeess of time, becomes a very 
uncertain guide ; for the palate will often induce a desire and relish 
for that which is most mischievous and indigestible. The old saying 
of " eat what you like " is now shunned by everybody of twenty years' 
experience. Still, without appetite, it is a very difficult affair to sub- 
sist — for the pleasure depends chiefly upon the relish. The relish 
may become, as has been stated, a vitiated one, but it is quite possible 
to make the stomach, by a little forbearance and practice, as enam- 
ored of what is wholesome and nutritious, as that which is hurtful, 
and not concoctible. Food consists of solids and fluids, which seve- 
rally have their different degrees of digestibility. It is proverbial 
that mutton is easier of digestion than beef — that fresh food is more 
readily dissolved in the stomach than salt — that it requires a pretty 
strong stomach to digest tough beefsteaks, and that he is a fortunate 
fellow who is not reminded now and then of having feasted on sal- 
mon twelve hours after, instead of four ; but there is vast difference 
between the digestive powers of different individuals. It is impos- 
sible, therefore, to impose rules as regards specific quality alike for 
all. The grand principle in dietics is for every person to judge for 
himself. 

It certainly is a very simple remedy for any one to diminish the 
quantity of his food, say one third, or if necessary to one half ; but 
the proposal generally meets with opposition, under the idea that as 
strength can only be acquired from the food which is consumed, it 
follows the more there be taken the greater will be the degree of 
strength got from it. Such a view is most erroneous, for it is only 
in proportion to that which is digested, and amalgamates kindly 
with the system that "goes to the good." 

/ 



PEESEEVATION OF HEALTH AND GUIDE TO LONG LIFE. 453 

The delicate should feed carefully, not abundantly : it is not quan- 
tity which nourishes, but only that which assimilates. If a profusion 
be taken, it gives extra work to every part of the digestive economy 
— the stomach is longer employed — a greater supply of blood is re- 
quired and furnished to the stomach, to assist in the creation of the 
stomachic secretions, to aid in dissolving the food; chemical action 
being always in proportion to the amount and dissimilarity of ingre- 
dients concerned, of course must be more violent in relation to the 
quantity, and hence there is greater "uproar" and confusion in the 
system to get through the task; consequently we have a quicker 
pulse, more excitement, and more exhaustion ; then follow flatulence, 
heaviness, and dullness, and sometimes sickness and pain. Let any 
person laboring under indigestion, or who may not feel comfortable 
after meals, just try and take one third less both of liquids as well 
as solids, and he will be agreeably surprised at the result. How 
common it is for man to give himself now and then, a holiday — to 
take rest, as he calls it, but he only gives it to his legs and his arms. 
On those occasions, having nothing else to do, he eats and drinks 
heartier than usual, and transfers his work to his stomach and diges- 
tive organs. He had better reverse the practice generally, as he 
would probably derive more benefit from resting his stomach than 
his body. 

Another important feature is simplicity and singleness of living. 
Let each meal consist of as few articles as possible. Bread, meat, 
and one kind of vegetable, are better than a mixture of many others, 
besides puddings or pastry, cheese and salads. 

The feelings must be studied to arrive at a correct knowledge of 
when enough has been taken. By eating too fast we are apt to eat 
too much, for hunger requires time as well as quantity to be appeased. 
In like manner, thirst may be quenched as effectually by half a pint 
of water as by a pint, provided it be drunk slowly ; and hence, owing 
to the rapid manner in which draughts are swallowed to allay 
thirst, we are apt to drink too much. A good way to ascertain 
what quantity is most fitting, is to study the feelings after a meal, 
when that quantity which is digested the easiest, and produces the 
least discomfort, or in fact sensation, is the one to be selected. 

One meal should not too quickly follow another — four hours, at 
least, should intervene. Three meals a day are sufficient; a mod- 
erate breakfast, a good dinner, and a simple tea ; but when a little 
and often are advised, a biscuit, lunch, or a cup of gruel for supper 



454 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

may be added. A very important observance is to eat slowly and 
to masticate thoroughly ; in fact, the food should be suited to the 
teeth. Never hurry through your meals, nor proceed to violent exer- 
cise immediately afterwards ; never eat too much nor too often. 

"When you are puffed out after eating, it is a sure sign you have 
taken too much. 

Always leave off satisfied, but never filled to repletion. 

Never take what you know from experience disagrees with you. 

Half an hour's rest should always precede and succeed a hearty 
dinner ; but sleeping after dinner, except it is a custom, and the diner 
be an elderly person, is decidedly bad. The dozer invariably wakes 
up feverish, with an increased pulse and a clammy mouth, and the 
process of digestion by no means advanced. 

Agreeable and lively conversation carries the digestion on unknow- 
ingly, whereas the man who sleeps or watches and broods over his 
symptoms retards their process, and makes his meal indeed a weary 
one. The dinner should be the substantial meal of the day. Meat 
breakfasts and meat suppers are injurious to persons who take but 
little exercise. 

Special cases require special diet; and there are some forms of 
illness wherein only a farinaceous diet is admissible ; others where 
even water is only allowable, and every medical man is acquainted 
with cases where the patients have subsisted on that element only, 
from ten to twenty days. Temperance in diet, water for drink, and 
hard work for exercise, will save and prolong many a life if the trial 
be but made. This fact is certain, — the diet should be modified by 
the occupation of the party — the more bodily exercise, the freer and 
more generous may be the living ; the lighter the exercise and the 
more confining and sedentary the engagements, the simpler and 
blander must be the diet. 

Where a man has to study living, he must keep under his desire 
for variety. However palatable the joint of veal, or the cutlet, or 
any savory preparation of it may be, it is sure to cause repentance. 

Beef has the same objections. It unquestionably is a delicious 
meat, but only fit for a man in rough and prime health. Than cold 
roast beef no joint is finer; it is a most tempting dish, and people 
generally eat too heartily of it. Boiled beef, both hot and cold, is a 
great luxury, but only suitable for the hearty and strong. 

Meat pies are very objectionable for invalids. Pork, in all its 
forms, is very difficult of digestion with delicate persons, whether 



PRESERVATION OF HEALTH AND GUIDE TO LONG LIFE. 455 

as bacon or as salted pork, or whether as young or mature roasted. 
Pork chops are notoriously night-wakers. Invalids are not to be 
interdicted every kind of nourishment save mutton; but, of all 
meats, it suits the stomach the longest and best. 

The brain, tongue, heart, sweetbread, liver, kidneys, tripe, &c, of 
animals are severally nutritious, but vary in easiness of digestion. 

Sweetbread, lightly and plainly cooked, forms a good meal for an 
invalid. 

Tripe is easy of digestion, partaking cautiously of its appendages, 
butter, onions, &c. 

Rabbits, well boiled (but not covered with onion sauce), if young, 
may be eaten now and then ; jugged hare, taking sparingly of the 
gravy, is occasionally allowable. 

There is no objection to the now and then substitution of poultry, 
such as fowls and chickens, breasts of turkey, &c. The breast of all 
birds is the most juicy and nutritious part, and that of the young 
more so than the old. 

Game is considered rather easy of digestion, especially venison, 
partridges, pheasants, and wild birds generally; but the chief objec- 
tions to these dishes are the accompaniments, the sauces, the stuffing, 
the jellies, &c. 

' Lamb is very excellent, and light of digestion, avoiding the fat, 
and usually suitable for invalids. 

Curry is an occasionally permissible dish; rabbits, fowls, chops, 
cutlets, and many other small articles so served, vary the fare, and 
rouse a torpid stomach to increased action; but people must judge 
for themselves. With many, curry is too stimulating, whilst with 
others it facilitates digestion and allays morbid irritability. 

Meat of nearly all kinds is generally in season, or can be obtained 
all the year round, but it is most nourishing when it feeds on what 
is in season, or is most plentiful. Grass is a better food than hay. 
Stall-fed oxen are fat and less wholesome than those of the leaner 
kind who have their run in the meadows. 

It must be borne in mind that the diet should be lighter in sum- 
mer than in winter; this observation holds good as to liquids as 
well as to solids. 

Eggs, lightly cooked, as when poached or boiled for three minutes, 
are good, especially the yolk. Fried eggs, as in pancakes, omelettes, 
&c, are bad. Some people find eggs nutritious taken raw, in tea or 
coffee, or beaten up with wine. 



456 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

Salmon, eels, herrings, &c, abound in oil, and are enemies to 
digestion. Many diseases arise from eating fish, particularly if the 
fish be bad; fish is unwholesome when out of season. 

Dried and salted fish are by no means to be recommended to weak 
stomachs. 

Shell-fish are all, with the exception of the oyster, great disturbers 
of the stomach. Oysters are more digestible raw than when cooked ; 
for roasting, scalloping, or stewing only hardens them, besides oc- 
casioning them to be more indigestible, on account of the butter 
mixed in their preparation. They do not agree with all persons. 
A great object is to procure them fresh. 

VEGETABLES. 

Bread comes under the denomination of a vegetable, and is best 
known as home-made, cottage, white, and brown bread. We have 
varieties in the form of biscuits, pies, and puddings, made from the 
same material — flour. New bread is very unwholesome ; it should, 
by everybody, be eaten one day old. Invalids should have it toasted, 
and eat it only when cold, buttered or not, as may be. It must be 
recollected that bread is always imperfectly baked, the top and 
bottom being the only parts thoroughly done ; hence toasting com- 
pletes the process. White bread has a tendency to constipate the 
bowels ; it is rendered more astringent by t'lie alum the bakers mix 
with it Brown bread, being mixed with coarser materials, that is 
flour not so well pulverized and sifted, works its way, and helps to 
preserve the bowels in a healthy and lax state. The best plan is to 
alternate their consumption, or take the brown bread for breakfast 
and tea, and the white for dinner; or reverse it if preferred. 

Bread is usually fermented with yeast, or leaven, but of late years 
unfermented bread has commanded great consumption; it is cer- 
tainly more wholesome — more saving in the preparation, both as to 
time and money, and, what is well to know, less constipating and 
indigestible than fermented bread proves to be to many. It not 
only helps to keep the bowels in ordinary action, but is positively 
more digestible, and instead of being productive of headache, acidity, 
irritability of stomach, flatulence, and other symptoms of dyspepsia, 
it is corrective and avertive of all these. 

The several portions of our food go to form the various structures 
of our body. Such as meat and bread form especially the flesh, bones, 
and blood of the human being ; portions of their composition go di- 



PRESERVATION OF HEALTH AND GUIDE TO LONG LIFE. 457 



Digestibility of Food, in Order of Time. 

Time of 

Quality. Preparation. Digestion. 

H. M. 

Coleslaw 100 

Eice Boiled 100 

Pig's feet, soused Boiled 1 00 

Tripe, soused Boiled 1 00 

Eggs, whipped Raw 1 30 

Trout, salmon, fresh Boiled 1 30 

Trout, salmon, fresh Fried 1 30 

Soup, barley '. Boiled 1 30 

Apples, sweet, mellow Raw 1 30 

Venison steak Broiled 1 35 

Brains, animal Boiled 1 45 

Sago Boiled 1 45 

Tapioca Boiled 2 00 

Barley Boiled 2 00 

Milk Boiled 2 00 

Liver, beef's, fresh Broiled 2 00 

Eggs, fresh Raw 2 00 

Codfish, cured dry Boiled 2 00 

Apples, sour, mellow Raw 2 00 

Cabbage, with vinegar ... Raw 2 00 

Milk Raw 2 15 

Eggs, fresh f , Roasted 2 15 

Turkey, wild Roasted 2 18 

Turkey, domestic Boiled 2 25 

Gelatine Boiled 2 25 

Turkey, domestic . . . . : Roasted 3 30 

Goose, wild Roasted 2 30 

Pig, sucking Roasted 2 30 

Lamb, fresh Broiled 2 30 

Hash, meat and vegetables Warmed 2 30 

Beans, pod . Boiled 2 30 

Cake, sponge Baked 2 30 

Parsnips , Boiled 2 30 

Potatoes, Irish Roasted 2 30 

Cabbage, head „ Raw 2 30 

Spinal marrow, animal Boiled 2 40 

Chicken, full grown Fricasseed 2 45 

Custard Baked 2 45 

Beef, with salt only Boiled 2 45 

Apples, sour, hard Raw 2 50 

Oysters, fresh Raw 2 55 

Eggs,fresh. Soft boiled 3 00 

Bass, striped, fresh Broiled 3 00 

Beef, fresh, lean, rare .,..., Roasted 3 00 



458 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 



Quality. Preparation. 

Pork, recently salted tt * * « « • Stewed 

Mutton, fresh Broiled 

Soup Boiled 

Chicken soup Boiled 

Aponeurosis Boiled 

Dumpling, apple Boiled 

Cake, corn Baked 

Oysters, fresh Boasted 

Pork steak Broiled 

Mutton, fresh Boasted 

Bread, corn Baked 

Carrot, orange . , Boiled 

Sausage, fresh Broiled 

Flounder, fresh „ Fried 

Catfish, fresh Fried 

Oysters, fresh , Stewed 

Butter Melted 

Cheese, old strong Raw 

Soup, mutton Boiled 

Oyster soup Boiled 

Bread, wheat, fresh Baked 

Turnips, flat Boiled 

Potatoes, Irish Boiled 

Eggs, fresh Hard Boiled 

Green corn and beans Boiled 

Beets Boiled 

Salmon, salted Boiled 

Beef Fried 

Veal, fresh Broiled 

Fowls, domestic Roasted 

Soup, beef, vegetables, and bre^d Boiled 

Heart, animal Fried 

Beef, old, hard, salted Boiled 

Soup, marrow-bones Boiled 

Cartilage Boiled 

Pork, recently salted Boiled 

Veal, fresh Fried 

Ducks, wild Roasted 

Suet, Mutton Boiled 

Cabbage Boiled 

Pork, fat and lean Roasted 

Tendon „ Boiled 

Suet, beef, fresh , . . . . Boiled 



Time of 


Digestion. 


3 00 


3 00 


3 00 


3 00 


3 00 


3 00 


3 00 


3 15 


3 15 


3 15 


3 15 


3 15 


3 30 


3 30 


3 30 


3 30 


3 30 


3 30 


3 30 


3 30 


3 30 


3 30 


3 30 


3 30 


3 45 


3 45 


4 00 


4 00 


4 00 


4 00 


4 00 


4 00 


4 15 


4 15 


4 15 


4 30 


4 30 


4 30 


4 30 


4 30 


5 15 


5 30 


5 30 



PRESERVATION OF HEALTH AND GUIDE TO LONG LIFE. 459 
Nutritiousness of Food. 

Kind of Food. Preparation. 

Almonds Raw 

Apples Raw 

Apricots Raw 

Barley Boiled 

Beans, dry Boiled 

Beef Roast 

Blood _ 

Bread Baked 

Cabbage Boiled 

Carrots Boiled 

Cherries Raw 

Chickens Fricasseed 

Codfish Boiled 

Cucumbers Raw 

Eggs Whipped 

Flour, bolted In bread 

Flour, unbolted In bread 

Gooseberries Raw 

Grapes Raw 

Haddock Boiled 

Melons Raw 

Milk Raw 

Mutton Roast 

Oatmeal Baked 

Oils Raw 

Peas, dry Boiled 

Peaches Raw 

Pears Raw 

Plums Raw 

Pork Roast 

Potatoes Boiled 

Rice Boiled 

Rye flour Baked 

Sole Fried 

Soup, barley Boiled 

Strawberries Raw 

Turnips Boiled 

Veal Fried 

Venison , Broiled 

Wheat bread Baked 



Per cent, of 


Time of 


Ease of 


Nutriment. 


Digestion. 
H. M. 


Digestion 


66 


_ 


— 


10 


1 30 


5 


26 


— — 


— 


92 


2 00 


5 


87 


2 30 


4 


26 


3 30 


3 


22 


— — 


— 


80 


3 30 


3 


7 


4 30 


2 


10 


3 15 


3 


25 


2 00 


5 


27 


2 45 


4 


21 

2 

13 


2 00 


5 


1 30 


7 


21 


— — 


— 


35 


— — 


— 


19 


2 00 


6 


27 


2 30 


6 


18 


2 30 


4 


3 


2 00 


5 


7 


2 15 


5 


30 


3 15 


3 


74 


3 30 


3 


96 


3 30 


3 


93 


2 30 


4 


20 


2 00 


4 


10 


3 30 


6 


29 


2 30 


4 


21 


5 15 


2 


13 


2 30 


4 


88 


1 00 


10 


79 


3 30 


3 


21 


3 00 


4 


20 


1 30 


7 


12 


2 00 


6 


4 


3 30 


8 


25 


4 30 


2 


22 


1 30 


7 


95 


3 30 


3 



460 OUK FAMILY DOCTOR. 

rectly to support and nourish the bones. Vegetables, fat, and sugar, 
have a destination of their own. Now, in the process of refining 
flour, or making it white and pure as it is called, the millers rob it 
of a very valuable quality, its saline ingredients, which ingredients 
are indispensable to the growth of the bones and teeth, and are still 
required to keep them in a healthy condition. Hence do we attri- 
bute the weakly formed bones, as evinced by the bent limbs and bad 
teeth of the children who have been fed chiefly on the finest wheaten 
flour, or bread which, as has been just now stated, is divested of its 
salts. The coarser food of the poor secure them stronger limbs 
and finer figures for their young children, where health in other re- 
spects is born with them. 

It is suggested that mothers and nurses, when suckling their 
young charges, should consume brown bread, if unfermented so 
much the better; for, upon the principle that the body derives its 
nourishment from food analogous only in its elements to itself, so it 
follows that as the child is only fed from the parent or nurse, it 
must owe its preservation to the soundness of the source from which 
it draws its supply. 

Biscuits, when well and crisply baked, are wholesome and easy of 
digestion 

Pies and puddings are made, of course, with flour and butter or 
suet, and from a closer intermixture (apart from the qualities of 
butter), are less digestible than bread. Bread puddings, made with 
unbuttered slices of bread, form an excellent meal, or an adjunct 
to one. 

Macaroni or vermicelli, boiled in beef tea or broth, makes a nice 
soup. 

Macaroni or vermicelli puddings are excellent. 

Bice puddings, baked and boiled, are both capital forms of diet. 
The former should be made and taken without butter, and with very 
little sugar. 

Barley broth, porridge, gruel, sago, tapioca, rice powder, and 
other similar preparations, are severally admirable articles of 
nourishment. 

Baked potatoes are less nourishing than boiled, and mealy potatoes 
are more digestible than waxy. Potatoes in general engender 
flatulence. 

Onions lose their stimulating influence by boiling, and are then 
considered wholesome. 



PKESEKVATION OF HEALTH AND GUIDE TO LONG LIFE. 461 

Allowances must be made for idiosyncrasies, or peculiarities of 
constitution; it often happening that those soft, pulpy vegetables 
which appear to melt in the mouth quickly, when swallowed, produce 
acidity, or digest badly, and thereby alter the action of the stomach 
altogether, inducing wind, distention, and innumerable other 
sensations that subside only as the acidity is neutralized or passed 
forward; whereas, at other times, greens, turnips, and carrots set 
lightly on the stomach, and are disposed of without difficulty. Inva- 
lids, except they have reliance on their stomachic process, from their 
feelings, should not venture on them. 

A PEW REMARKS ON CONDIMENTS. 

Condiments are usually contrivances of man to goad a relish, to 
provoke an additional zest, for our ordinary food. They doubtlessly 
succeed in their purpose, as the drover by his nail-pointed staff 
impels the poor tired ox to market; but the overwork is not unat 
tended with mischief. Mustard, pepper, and salt, we become 
acquainted with "from our earliest knowledge of cookery; and we look 
for them with meat as we do for bread and cheese to follow ; but 
too much is worse than none. Pickles, sauces, oils, &c, are also 
acquirements that betoken man has not much confidence in his own 
appetital resources. At best they are but messes, and fortunate is 
he who, needing them, they agree with. Savory or kitchen herbs 
are merely ticklers of the taste — they do neither harm nor good; 
certainly not the latter, whilst they may disagree with a weak 
stomach. 

Too much sugar is productive of dyspepsia. The effects of early 
addiction to candy, &c, are manifested in children by their foul 
little breaths and decayed teeth, and what should exempt adults 
from a corresponding consequence, more or less? Some tea-drinkers 
will take three or four lumps of sugar with each cup, which, allowing 
from four to half a dozen cups, makes about two or three ounces of 
sugar, and this twice daily. The French drink of " eau sucre" although 
considering it fattening and salutary, we consider most objectionable. 
Coffee should be sparingly sweetened ; the taste and flavor of the 
roasted berry is lost when oppressed with sugar. 

LIQUIDS. 

Half, or more than half, of the aliment we consume is liquid ; but 
there is no doubt, independently of that, we all drink too much. 



462 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

An excellent chapter might be written on water. It is the mildest, 
most necessary, and salutary drink we have ; it may, notwithstanding, 
be taken to excess, and those who dispute it will have reason to 
repent if they venture on the experiment of taking it to the extent 
some enthusiastic hydropathists recommend. As a drink to allay 
thirst, no fluid or modification is equal to it, and it is best taken in 
its pure state. 

If man were to confine himself to water alone as his common drink, 
he would never need any other. It assists the various processes of 
life best in its unadulterated state, and the real water-drinkers, not 
the converted tipplers, but original imbibers of the spring, are un- 
doubtedly the most healthy and long-lived. 

From water we will proceed to the milder alteration of it — tea, 
coffee, and the like. The effect of tea depends upon the quality and 
strength — strong green tea and strong mixed tea are as hurtful as 
fermented liquors. In point of nourishment, there is none but what 
is derived from the addition of milk and sugar. 

Coffee is less objectionable, but it must be taken moderately; it is 
then nutritive and moderately stimulating. Cocoa and chocolate are 
modifications for the tea or breakfast meal, and agree variously with 
different individuals ; they are both preferable to tea as regards nu- 
triment, but their effects must be watched. Milk contains all the 
elements necessary for the nutrition and growth of the human body, 
but it does not suit the stomach. It is a very uncertain commodity 
in cities ; but it differs also in the quality as drawn from the cow, 
the milk of the morning and evening seldom corresponding — of 
course, it is much modified by the drink and health of the animal. 
Gruel, barley-water, and other farinaceous solutions, can not be too 
highly eulogized. 

Malt liquor is less irritating than wine or spirits, and consequently 
less objectionable. Much of either is injurious. Ale in quantities 
acts on the skin and kidneys, and creates irritation in both. Of 
cider, ginger-beer, lemonade, &c, the dyspeptic must use sparingly. 
The objections to soda-water exist in the quantity and frequency of 
the draught ; else, now and then, it is an agreeable drink. 

COOKING. 

It is somewhat presumptuous to trespass on the department of 
cookery, for housewives are generally the best judges as to the 
relative value of boiling and roasting. Whichever be the process 



PRESERVATION OF HEALTH AND GUIDE TO LONG LIFE. 463 

Selected, it should be carried out. Under-done meat is as injurious 
as over-done ; and it is a popular error that states half-done meat to 
be more nourishing and digestible than well-done. 

Baked meats are less wholesome than either boiled or roasted; 
they become "soddened," and have an "oveny" flavor. However, 
a great improvement has been effected in modern kitchen-ranges, 
and the objection is becoming less tenable. The same remarks 
apply to the cooking of potatoes. 

Frying is a process objectionable chiefly on account of the butter 
employed, and the absorption of the fat into the meat. 

A word or two upon fats — they are all slow of digestion. Dr. 
Beaumont says, mutton-suet takes four hours and a half to digest, 
and beef-suet five hours. 

Fat, when swallowed, becomes changed into oil by the warmth of 
the stomach, and floats on the surface of the food therein, until, by 
degrees, it becomes divided into myriads of little globules, as seen 
when water and oil are skaken up together, and gradually mingles 
with the mass, and thus becomes digested. 

QUANTITY OF FOOD. 

The secret of living certainly rests with the quantity, but it in- 
volves several considerations, and the sick pupil must be a diligent 
observer. 

Every person should regulate the quantity by his feelings. He 
ought to know when he has eaten enough. It is impossible to say 
with preciseness how much in general is requisite for every indivi- 
dual ; for our appetite and capacities vary every day. This fact is 
beyond dispute, that more maladies are created by over-feeding than 
under-feeding; and it is also true that the majority of us consume 
more than there is really any occasion for. Every man in search of 
health should reflect for himself. 

The better experiment is, if, on any given day, uncomfortable 
feelings ensue after dining, try the next time to satisfy yourself 
with one third less ; if the same result follow, try the following day 
one half; and if diminishing the quantity still more do not succeed, 
try a day's fast. Dyspeptics accustomed to feed freely will find 
their health speedily improved by taking less : let their selection be 
judicious, and eating slowly and carefully what they partake of. 
Above all, simplicity of living should be strictly observed, and the 
motto on every plate should be, "Temperance is true luxury." 



464 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

People now and then run into the opposite extreme, and endeavor 
to subsist on too little. The stomach requires only nourishment to 
work upon ; hence bulk as well as nutriment is indispensable. 

TIME OF EATING. 

To the rich man, "when you are hungry," says the adage; to the 
poor man, "when you can." The latter advice may do for the needy 
or the ever-at-work man ; but regularity of feeding is of great assist- 
ance to the feeble stomach: a man, to be healthy, should keep time 
like a clock in all his hygienic duties, and like many of the other 
daily functions of life, his appetite will, if thus encouraged, always 
attend him at the accustomed hour. Our positions in life must mod- 
ify our meal times. There is nothing, however, like military regu- 
larity. One meal should never succeed another until the last is 
pretty fairly digested. Abernethy advised four hours between each. 
Eating little and often is a bad plan. Hence lunches, and buns, and 
crackers, are severally injurious ; they spoil the appetite for the more 
substantial meal, by calling into play — which a simple crust will d® 
— the whole machinery of the domestic economy. 

SNUFFING AND SMOKING. 

Medically speaking, they are both abominably unwholesome. To 
those whom smoking causes to spit, it is productive of great depres- 
sion and considerable nervous irritability; to those who say they 
swallow their saliva, it is equally pernicious ; to those who are insen- 
sible to secretion, it acts locally, and its influence is conveyed by 
the nervous extremities to the brain. What are the properties of 
tobacco ? Sedative, stupifyiug, creative of vomiting, and if swallowed 
in the form of infusion, poisonous. 

Let any man ask himself, after spitting and puffing, if he feels 
better for it ; the reply generally is, " Oh it is so soothing — it gives 
rise to such agreeable thoughts — it carries the mind back to the 
past — it makes a man comfortable even in his troubles. How happy 
every one appears with a cigar or a pipe in his mouth." A great 
deal of this may be true, but, on the other hand, the great smoker 
is generally shaky and nervous, and, like the drinker, never happy 
but when engaged in his favorite propensity. Of what use is he then 
to anybody, or even to himself? None. The little smoker, the 
occasional smoke-breather, before he gets through his first — or give 
him credit for two or three — is left with a dry mouth and a nasty 



PRESEKVATION OF HEALTH AND GUIDE TO LONG LIFE. 465 

taste — a desire to drink ; and although some will deny that smoking 
provokes drinking, except coffee or water, few can dispense with 
grog, ale, or wine. Other people it muddles, makes them swimmy, 
and very disagreeable to talk to. To say nothing of the nuisances 
of smoking, the habit, captivating and socializing as it may be held 
to be, is decidedly bad — very bad for delicate persons. As to chew- 
ing, it is so beastly a habit, that there is little to fear of an invalid 
resorting to it. It is equally pernicious, nay more so, than smoking. 
Snuff-taking is also very detrimental to the health; it obscures the 
intellect, and has a depressing effect on the system. Young men 
should particularly avoid becoming snuffers ; a very short indulgence 
makes them look ten years older. These habits are very easy to 
acquire, and very difficult to leave off; but it is not as some people 
say, dangerous to abandon them at the eleventh hour of your life, 

LATE HOURS. 

All nature sleeps at night, and why should not man? The great 
globe, and winds, and waves move on, 'tis true, and the heart of man 
beats, and he himself respires, but these things are necessary to keep 
up the general order. The darkness of night is a simple proof that 
rest and sleep should be encouraged at that time. A truce to this. 
Persons who value their health will not turn night into day. Ten 
or eleven should never find them unprepared to go to bed. It is 
proverbial, because certified by actual knowledge, that the rest ob- 
tained in the early part of the night is more refreshing than that 
gotten in the morning. Best is as essential as exercise. The vital 
energies become exhausted after their due performance, and require 
repose to regain their strength for the ensuing day. This is a physi- 
ological truth ; and if that rest be denied, it becomes an infringe- 
ment on a law of nature, and that is sure to bring down speedy 
vengeance. What are the feelings after being up all night ? How 
doubly heavy is the sleep the next night ? — which, if not taken, the 
exhaustion becomes an illness. Evils are of two kinds — too much 
is as bad as too little, and he who retires early should rise early. 

It becomes a disease where sleepiness prevails at a time when we 
ought to be getting up, instead of when going to bed ; but one of 
the best remedies is to retire early, other things being attended to ; 
and nature will do the rest. 

Sleeping apartments ought to be capacious, dry and well ventilated. 
The bed should not be too soft, and the bed-clothes should be as 



466 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

light as may be consistent with necessary warmth. The inordinate 
quantity of bed-covering sometimes used has a most relaxing ten- 
dency, by promoting excessive perspiration, and by rendering the 
body over susceptible to external injurious impressions. 

The excellence of early rising, and its inspiring influence on both 
body and mind, have been themes for the poet's song and the sage's 
sermon. Early rising promotes cheerfulness of temper, opens up 
new capacities of enjoyment and channels of delight to which the 
sluggard must be insensible. It increases the sum of human exis- 
tence, by stealing from indolence hours that would else be utterly 
wasted, and, better still, unquestionably conduces to longevity. All 
long-livers have been early risers. Now, as the habit of retiring to 
bed at late hours will hardly admit of early rising, therefore the 
necessity of refraining from the one in order to secure the advan- 
tages of the other. From six to eight hours' sleep are generally 
held to be sufficient, and no doubt on the average are so. Our sleep 
is regulated much by the season. In winter, people lie longer, on 
account, as they say> of its being too dark to get up early. There 
is some plausibility in the reason ; but the system in cold and dark 
weather is more prone to sleep than in light and sunny times. 
Invalids need generally plenty of bed-rest ; but they should procure 
it by going early to bed. There is more health and strength to be 
found in the practice of seeing the sun rise, than in looking at it at 
any other part of the day. 

EXERCISE AND FRESH AIR. 

Exercise and fresh air should be inseparable. They were born with 
us; but man built houses to shut out the air and lock himself in. It 
would appear, in proportion to our advance in civilization, we are 
setting at defiance the elements of health and longevity. Man, in a 
state of nature, had to seek his food, to hunt for it, to scramble for 
it, and hence the difference between the stature and health of the 
wild Indian and the civilized man. Now, man need not stir from his 
couch for a meal. Look at the difference between the active mechanic, 
the artizan, even to the ill-fed laborer, and compare him to the con- 
fined clerk, the storekeeper, or the indefatigable stay-at-home of a 
master, and the evidence of one's eyesight must proclaim in favor of 
the former — must proclaim that exercise, with moderate sustenance, 
contributes more to health than high feeding, indolence, and every 
other enjoyment. 



PRESERVATION OF HEALTH AND GUIDE TO LONG LIFE. 467 

A pensive man, absorbed in his own thoughts, looking from his 
own window, little dreams of what a tissue of moving atoms he is 
composed. His blood is travelling onwards perpetually; fluids are 
being deposited on the surfaces and again absorbed; his heart is 
continually beating ; his lungs expanding and contracting ; and even 
the viscera have their folds in incessant motion. His very structure 
adapts him for locomotion ; and the composite movements alluded 
to are mainly dependent upon that locomotion for their healthy 
persistence, and yet, like a tired horse, how loth to stir. "What a 
subject to dilate upon. It is a science in itself. 

There is nothing still in nature but man (comparatively), and he 
is called restless. How many of our diseases are attributable to in- 
activity and confinement. 

That exercise and fresh air are essential and salutary — that they 
are invigorative — that they afford strength and power — that they 
beget and preserve health, who can deny? That on the contrary, 
indolence and confinement sicken the heart, sear the mind, impoverish 
the body, and shorten life, there can not be a single doubt. What, 
then, is it that makes men prefer the latter? — if not prefer it, yield 
to it? Necessity? In some degree it is, but in a greater degree it 
is either indolence or ignorance, perhaps both. The moment a man 
gets comfort around him, he prefers his ease, and there is a spirit of 
misappropriation present in young men's minds leading them to seek 
relaxation of another, rather than a healthier kind. The theatres, 
the taverns, the town rendezvous, &c, have attractions more pow- 
erful than the morning stroll in the high roads and the fields, and 
if the one be indulged in, the other can not be availed of. Exercise 
and fresh air are essential for the 3ue performance of every function 
of life. By their aid digestion is effected, the proper action of the 
bowels and skin sustained, sleep secured, a clear head acquired and 
life preserved. 

Of all kinds of exercise, walking is the most natural — horse-riding 
the most delightful ; it is also the most advantageous, inasmuch as a 
greater distance can be got over — a greater variety of air be respired, 
at the cost of positively more exercise and less fatigue. 

In travelling select the outside — people only take colds by fearing 
them ; an umbrella, or a great coat, will always keep off the wet. The 
time of taking exercise should be between meals, neither immediately 
upon, or just before one. The amount must rest on the time that 
can be spared — distance is less an object than time. A valetudina- 



468 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

rian should be out in the open air as many hours as possible during 
the day ; and a man in health, to keep so, should, at least, be on foot 
three or four hours daily. The feeble plead inability to get about, 
and the indolent will justly tell you, exercise doth not agree with 
them ; but the habit of inactivity once broken, it is astonishing how 
luxurious exercise becomes. Weak parts become strong, and health 
and strength are acquired every day. 

By exercise abroad, not only do diseases of the body give way, 
but also those of the mind. A fit of blue-devilry is invariably cured 
by a walk in the open air. Exercise cures constipation, corpulency, 
nervousness, and all forms of indigestion. A simple evidence of the 
importance of exercise is to be found in the majority who are busily 
engaged during the week, and who take what they call rest on Sun- 
day — that is to say, who do not go out all that day. There are many 
who do not even dress on a Sunday, but eat and drink and sleep. 
"Without appealing to any one in particular — for they include rich as 
well as poor — we may ask, at least, whether the Sunday indolence 
does not make the Monday a less agreeable day than Saturday ? The 
extra feeding has a good deal to do with it, but the want of the usual 
excitement of business (the exercise of mind), and the usual bustling 
about (the exercise of the body), are not uninnuential. Day promen- 
ading is more beneficial than walking about in the night air. In wet 
weather, where out-door exercise is scarcely available, pacing the 
passage with the windows open is a good substitute. 

Persons engaged in sedentary pursuits — the litterateur, the clerk, 
and professional man, should not fix themselves to their seats 
throughout the day; and he whose occupation binds him to his 
books, the student or the sage, if he can not well pace his closet, 
book in hand, should read aloud ; independently of having what he 
reads indelibly impressed upon his mind, his lungs gain tone, and 
his respiration is rendered easier and stronger. 

Exercise, while it gives energy to the mind and body, provokes 
the exhaustion to ensure repose. 

What has not fresh air, or, as it is called when quitting the 
crowded city, change of air, effected ! How many has it not snatched 
from the jaws of death! How many has it not saved from the 
tedious pilgrimage of sickness, and spared from desolate loneliness! 
The apparently consumptive, the melancholy hypochondriac, and the 
waning and harassed dyspeptic, has it restored to former lifefulness 
and joy. The first gush revives the expiring breath. Bed-ridden 



PRESEKVATION OF HEALTH AND GUIDE TO LONG LIFE. 469 

invalids have been known to rise and walk the day following a 
removal into the country. Apart from local peculiarities and advan- 
tages, fresh air is in every instance useful. 

THE PASSIONS. 

The most powerful emotions are anger and despair. Scarcely a 
day passes but we hear of the fatal consequences of giving way to 
both. The intermediate feelings, the gradatory process from simple 
irascibility of temper to ungovernable fury, and from mental depres- 
sion to the depths of imaginative misery, that we see exhibited among 
each other, swell out the list of human grievances that beset our 
travels through life. It is not to be expected that man can so tamely 
view aggressions, or so firmly withstand misfortunes, as to pass on- 
wards unscathed by one or the other; but there is a certain amount 
of philosophy necessary to meet misfortunes, which, if we do not 
possess, we ought to endeavor to acquire, else, like the reed, we 
should be shaken by every wind. 

It is the duty of all to lit their temper to their circumstances, and 
not suffer trifles to annoy them — to vex or depress them. The mind 
can be cultivated to' withstand the shocks of the disasters common 
to the world, and also to resignation to those which can not be 
averted. 

The leading passion in human nature is irritability of temper. It 
is the source of nearly all our our own discomfort and that of those 
around us ; and yet how easy it is with a rational mind to subdue it. 
If it led to any good result, it might prove a healthy ebullition ; but 
as it merely excites the brain, and to no good purpose, and seldom 
gains the end which reasoning might not accomplish, it is a waste of 
bitterness and even time, at the cost of oftentimes serious personal 
disturbance. "Women have been thrown into hysterics, that have led 
to epilepsy and death, by indulgence in angry disputation ; and men 
have sacrificed friendships, broken the peace of homes, and scattered 
desolation among their dependents and followers. 

According to the teachings of some modern reformers, everything 
in these days depends upon organization. If we are organized to be 
murderers, the crime must follow, and he only is virtuous who is 
happily possessed abundantly of the moral faculties. The young 
"limb," the scold, the termagant, the violent and hasty man exclaims, 
"I can't help it;" and on viewing the destruction that may have been 
effected, cries Out," I don't care." This is a most fallacious notion. 



470 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

Phrenologists, at the same time that they admit that organization 
influences our conduct, know full well, and insist upon it, that our 
conduct, or rather education, influences our organization, and that 
organization may be cultivated ; that bumps, as they are styled, can 
be encouraged and depressed, and their contents called into action 
or subdued ; and therefore, if phrenology means anything, it means 
that viciousness and virtue depend entirely upon cultivation, and 
that such folly ought to be helped and ought to be cared for. "Bring 
up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not 
depart from it." But it is even possible to alter habits of a later 
growth; and as, in the regulation of health, man must "chalk out" 
his own conduct to secure it ; so, in the control of his wayward feel- 
ings, he must bestow a little attention to the study how to do as 
much for the morbid excitement of passionate frenzy. 

Even in a selfish point of view, irascibility of temper ought at all 
times to be checked. The flushed forehead, the blanched lips, the 
swelling throat, the fierceness of the eye, and the towering voice, 
displayed in an ordinary fit of anger, are pretty sufficient indications 
of the tumult within and the spirit without. 

A calm, serene, and cheerful mind, may be secured by cultivation ; 
even persons of a naturally fretful, peevish, irascible temperament, 
will be astonished to find how comparatively easy it is to control 
and regulate their humors, if they will but resolutely determine 
to bring them under domination. 

Despair is but the nurtured offspring of gloom and depression : it 
is a growing thorn in the heart of man; it makes him "sink in leth- 
argy before his time." 

Melancholy, or mental nervousness, as it may be called, is 
generally the handmaid to the sick couch. Here the faint-hearted 
man, unlike his angry brother, rather weeps in his regret than 
gloats in his revenge ; neither more nor less does he demand our 
sympathy. The two conditions are the saddest of suffering humanity. 
Like anger, it occasionally attains its climax, and it then may be 
called "human weakness," — nay, "folly." A man may feel his sor- 
rows like a man, but, to ante-date the quotation, he should also bear 
them like a man. Richelieu exclaimed to a hopeless adventurer, 
"Despair should not be found in a young man's vocabulary." 
Whatever the dilemma we may be in, our first effort should be 
directed to its removal. The more we fret, the further we are off. 
In nearly all nervous affections there is a strong tendency to depres- 



PKESERVATION OF HEALTH AND GUIDE TO LONG LIFE. 471 

sion of spirits ; it is part of the malady, it may be as much the 
occasion of it as the consequence ; and in the attempt to cure the 
disease, likewise, must our efforts be carried to the cause as well as 
to the symptoms. A morbid dullness is even soothing to some 
minds; and so easily are impressions caught up, that set but the 
train in motion, and the thought is established. 

MORBID EXCITEMENT. 

Nero fiddled when Borne was burning; kings have been check- 
mated on the board and their throne at the same moment; and 
such is the fascination of cards and dice, that fortunes are often 
risked on a "turn up." Once allow this sort of excitement to get 
the mastery, and health begins to ooze out at your fingers' ends. 

Morbid excitement, or excitement to excess of any kind, and that 
especially indulged in by young men — no matter whether card-play- 
ing, pool, sing-song, boating, spreeing, or larking, or whatever else 
carries the mind beyond the soberness of propriety, is most hurtful ; 
and those who prefer placid feelings, mental contentment, and good 
health, or who are seeking to . gain these desiderata, must avoid all 
hinds of morbid excitement. 

SUMMARY, AND PRACTICAL RULES. 

When you find a want of vigor and activity of body or mind, or 
when you- experience depression of spirits, morbid and gloomy 
imaginations, or perverted feelings, try to discover the cause, and 
whether it be not one dependent on your own acts. 

If you are assured, on competent authority, that you have no or- 
ganic disease, suspect bad condition of the blood, — to remedy which, 
look first to your diet ; and as to quantity, remember that generally, 
during the period of growth, deficiency is to be feared ; and, in adult 
life, excess is the thing to be guarded against. If your appetite is 
defective, inquire why y if your avocations are sedentary, see that you 
get exercise daily, and in the open air if possible. Cultivate (for it 
may be cultivated) quietness of mind, and freedom from care and 
passion, — both of which destroy the appetite. As to quality of your 
food, remember its twofold object is to produce heat and to repair 
waste, but also remember, that for you, what you can well digest is 
the only proper food. 

If you waste much, either by muscular or mental exertion, you must 
repair it by a due proportion of nitrogenous or flesh-producing food ; 



472 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

and for those who work chiefly with the brain, the various kinds of 
pulse, as peas, beans, lentils, &c, are less suited than for those whose 
labor is chiefly muscular. 

Consider your habit of body, and also to what disorders you have 
a tendency, either by hereditary or acquired disposition. 

If you are disposed to emaciation, use abundance of farinaceous 
food, and that containing starch and sugar, — especially sound bread, 
and take the utmost care that it be sound. 

If you are disposed to superfluous fat (obesity), take the diet just 
described, but very sparingly ; and use more flesh-meat. 

If you are disposed to gravel, and it is of the red form, be careful 
to use little meat and much exercise. 

If to the white, or phosphatic kind, moderate exercise, a more lib- 
eral diet, and even wine, with tonics, steel, &c, may be required. 

If you are prone to gout, a medium diet is best ; but beware espe- 
cially of fermentible aliments, and of badly-fermented liquors. 

If your employment is laborious, peas, beans, cheese, close-bread, 
and fat flesh-meats are suitable ; while mental pursuits and sedentary 
habits require rather lighter bread, but a spare use of cheese, peas, 
beans, and a moderate amount of flesh-meat. 

When, from want of inclination, you can not take flesh-meat, or not 
so much as your waste requires, be careful to substitute those articles 
which come nearest to it in quality, as bread (not too light), flour 
pudding, cheese, peas, beans, cream, and the ordinary fruits and 
vegetables ; but do not depend on starch food, as sago, arrow-root, 
tapioca, &c, &c, nor on gelatine or jellies of any kind. These may 
form an occasional addition to, but not the staple of the diet. 

As to the times and seasons for taking food — 

Avoid long fasting, excessive fatigue, and then taking a full meal 
in this state. If possible, time it so that, when the stomach and 
strength begin to require food, you may be able to take it with as 
little delay as possible. 

Dismiss all anxious thought and care when you sit down to a meal ; 
be thankful, and be in charity with all men, as you hope for good 
digestion. Eat very slowly, and masticate thoroughly ; have recourse 
to the dentist, if needful, for the means of doing so. 

Rest an hour after dinner, if possible ; then take moderate exercise, 
and, so far as your pursuits will admit, make your chief exertion of 
body and mind to fall between your meals, leaving a short interval 
free for all business, both before and after each. 



PKESEKVATION OF HEALTH AND GUIDE TO LONG LIFE. 473 

Three meals in the day are sufficient for an adult — the very weak 
or the diseased excepted. 

As to the choice of particular places of abode in relation to cer- 
tain predispositions to disease, the following rules may be given : — 

All scrofulous or consumptive disorders requires pure dry air, 
but not necessarily hot. It is quite a mistake to suppose that hot 
climates are favorable to such invalids in all stages of disorder. To 
some they prove positively hurtful. 

Perhaps for those scrofulous or consumptive persons who bear a 
high temperature well, it may afford the best-known remedy; while 
others have been found to bear, even with advantage, the bracing 
air and extreme cold of Minnesota or Wisconsin. 

Neglect not the care of the skin. Use frequent warm baths, soap, 
friction with Russia duck towels, &c. 

Use no hot baths except by medical advice, and cold only if you 
are robust. 

Exercise the limbs as much as possible, in the open air when 
practicable ; and use sufficient exercise, at least once a day, to pro- 
duce sensible perspiration of the skin. 

When out-of-door exercise is impracticable, do not omit in-door; 
not only gymnastics, but reading aloud, singing, music, especially 
stringed instruments. 

Those who are in moderate health, ought to accustom themselves 
to the open air in almost all weathers. 

Use warm clothing, but avoid as much as possible that which is 
impervious to perspiration. 

As to temperature. Let your rooms be kept at a temperature not 
exceeding sixty-two degrees nor falling below fifty-four degrees. 

When you pass from a warm room to the open air in very cold 
weather, get well heated before you expose yourself. 

In passing from very cold air to the house, go first into the coolest 
part of the house, so as to avoid the sudden transition from cold to 
hot air, which is very hurtful. 

There is no danger, but much benefit, from the application of cold 
water to the skin, when the latter is extremely hot ; since this is just 
the condition in which cold affusion is useful, as in fevers. 

To promote proper excretion, and to avoid constipation, observe 
the following: — 

Let not your diet be too delicate or concentrated ; bulk as well as 
nutrient elements being necessary. 



474 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

Remember that constipation often depends on the first stage of 
digestion being imperfect; therefore eat only what you can thor- 
oughly digest. 

Do not use aperient medicines if you can possibly regulate the 
bowels without them. If they become needful, a few grains of rhu- 
barb or minute quantities of castor-oil (a teaspoonful only) are to be 
preferred, especially for the aged, who should avoid saline medicines, 
or use them very sparingly, as they reduce heat. 

As to the excretion of urine. If you find yourself growing fat and 
weak, and if also you require to pass urine very frequently, suspect 
disease of the kidneys and seek advice, and remember that this 
disease arises primarily from bad digestion or improper diet. 

Never defer attention to the natural call to evacuate the urine, as 
danger often ensues from this cause. 

Take care to keep the lungs in exercise by sufficient locomotion, 
by muscular exertion of some kind; and also take care that your 
clothing admit of the free action of the muscles of the trunk, by 
which respiration is carried on. 

Be careful also to avoid all pressure which can obstruct the 
circulation of the blood, especially in the neck and in the lower 
limbs. 

Learn a lesson from the trainer, for there is perhaps nothing so 
bad but that some good lesson may be derived from it ; and it is 
a natural and useful inquiry, by what means does the trainer bring 
his pupil into a fit condition for such a contest as that which has of 
late attracted so much attention? The rules are these: — 

1st, and most indispensable of all, is abstinence from strong drink, 
and from all sensual indulgences. 

2nd. Continued waste of the old particles of the body, muscular 
and nervous especially, and of the blood itself, by strong exercise ; 
this waste being supplied by 

3rd. Plain solid diet of brown meats, especially beef and mutton, 
good bread, &c, a very sparing use only of any liquid aliment being 
allowed. 

4th. Active frictions of the skin. 

5th. Abundant and pure air, with early bed hours. 

We see, therefore, that training is nothing more than the application 
of the laws of health (which throughout this work we have been 
inculcating) to their fullest extent. The only difference which need 
to exist between our ordinary mode of life and a period or course of 



PRESERVATION OF HEALTH AND GUIDE TO LONG LIFE. 475 

training is this, that in the latter we make health the primary object, 
and all pursuits of pleasure and business are postponed. This, ii 
may be said, we can not do in ordinary life. True, we can not ; but, 
for the most part, the self-denial, industry, and wholesome diet 
which are the chief features of training, will be no less conducive 
to success in business and the enjoyment of real pleasure, than they 
are to the success of the pugilist, pedestrian, or the victor in a 
boat-race. 

To preserve in health the noblest part of man — the brain and ner- 
vous system — observe the following: — 

Remember that all thought, all sensation, waste the nervous sub- 
stance. Do not waste more than your digestive powers can supply, 

In pursuing either study or business requiring much thought, take 
care to vary your pursuits as much as possible, that one thing may 
relieve another. 

If possible, choose the early morning instead of the late night. 

If you read and write much, have a standing desk; do not sit 
always, and avoid a bent posture. 

Do not habitually think or read in the recumbent posture ; this is 
a caution of great importance, as determination to the head is much 
governed by position; and on the other hand, in some particular 
conditions, and on some particular occasions, the recumbent posture 
is an advantage. 

Rossini, it is said, availed himself of it for his greatest musical 
creations, and George Stephenson used to go to bed for about three 
days when he had any very difficult engineering problem to solve. 

Remember how much the passions waste the nervous powers. 

Do two things with regard to them. 

1. Avoid the spur in any form. 

2. Use the rein habitually, and avail yourself of the faculty inhe- 
rent in us, of the concentration of thought in any desired direction by 
a strong effort of the will. 

In all lawful things, the question of excess is entirely relative; 
what is moderation for one, may be excess for another. Observe 
results faithfully, and the course will be plain. 

Finally, as the very purpose for which we value health, and even 
life, is activity of the body and mind, so is the well-directed employ- 
ment of both the essential condition for the preservation of health, 
for the prolongation of life, and what is more, for rendering this life 
happy, useful, and preparatory to a higher. 



476 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

BATHS— WHEN AND HOW TO TAKE THEM. 
The Warm Bath. 

The virtues of the warm bath can not be extolled too highly. 
Apart from its cleanly properties, its moral virtues, and its salutary 
tendency, it has a strong inducement in the personal comfort which 
it affords. Such a state of things as half freezings, and similar 
sufferings, are highly dangerous ; and a cold caught one day often 
sees the victim coffined in a week. A hot bath taken at a fitting 
moment arrests the threatened invasion, dissolves the frigid mem- 
bers, reanimates nose, fingers, and toes ; sends the blood merrily on 
to every extremity, where ten minutes before it was a stranger, and 
composes the body in a state of thankful and grateful ease, and 
sends death about his business. A warm bath, aptly taken, has, in 
hundreds of instances, and thousands too, averted and cured illnesses 
that bitter experience tells us have proved fatal for want of one. 
A cold is the most accessible of all complaints in this variable 
climate ; neglected, it leads to the most fatal. A warm bath is the 
readiest, cheapest, quickest, best, and most certain cure. Medical 
men are nearly unanimous in asserting that the warm bath is 
very conducive to health. That it equalizes the circulation of the 
blood, renders the skin supple and moist, promotes free perspiration, 
and relieves the body from a layer of thick, obstructive accumulation 
of scurf, and oleaginous surfacial deposit, and so proves salutary, 
giving thereby an impetus to absorption and secretions. A man 
in health, to keep himself so, should take a warm bath once a week 
throughout his life ; certainly a fortnight should not pass without 
one. 

Warm bathing also acts beneficially on the kidneys and urinary 
organs; it helps the bowels and stomach and liver, giving new life 
to each, the action promotes digestion, and, contrary to the popular 
fear of a warm bath weakening, it in reality strengthens the system ; 
and furthermore, in opposition likewise to the apprehension that a 
warm bath is dangerous, as being liable to give cold afterwards, it 
actually fortifies you against one. As a matter of health and duty, 
the bath is imperative ; as one of ease and comfort and enjoyment, 
and lastly of cleanliness, incomparable. 

The usual temperature of the warm bath is ninety-eight degrees ; 
but, according to the object in view, it can be modified and borne at 
the pleasure of the bather ; if taken for mere refreshment and clean- 
liness, the above heat will prove very agreeable and suitable for the 



PRESERVATION OF HEALTH AND GUIDE TO LONG LIFE. 477 

purpose ; if suffering from a cold or other indisposition, and perspir- 
ation be desirable, one hundred degrees will be found effective, and 
ten minutes are quite long enough to remain in it ; if the stay be 
much protracted, exhaustion follows, and the effect is hurtful. The 
French people accustom themselves to pass a full hour in the warm 
bath; but the practice is relaxing, and indeed enervating, and an 
American would soon find it so. The morning is the most favorable 
for invalids, because the body is fresh and able to encounter any little 
extra fatigue ; but the bath is equally serviceable at all periods of the 
day —morning, noon, or evening. It may be taken safely in the "bit- 
terest" and coldest weather. Foggy and damp and wet days are 
the least favorable for the indulgence. In the summer, the bath is 
most essential ; for the skin having double duty to perform, it ur- 
gently requires to be kept cleanly, lest any obstruction to the prespir- 
ation should ensue. If the bath be wanted for a specific purpose, 
and the illness be one of uncertainty or beyond the comprehension 
of the invalid, a medical opinion had better be obtained. 

Vapor, Sulphur, Fumigating, and Other Baths. 

Vapor-bathing is an immense luxury, and a vastly powerful reme- 
dial agent. Its story is soon told. The bather is closeted in a 
chamber like a tent, which is furnished with fragrant steam, that 
quickly surrounds the body, and soon causes great but bearable 
warmth that ends in profuse perspiration. The feelings on the 
occasion are most delightful . a vapor-bath has been fancifully com- 
pared to Mahomet's "seventh heaven." 

The various baths of this kind are to suit special local diseases 
and the constitutions of particular individuals; but they had all 
better (the baths) be taken (more or less) under medical surveillance. 
First and foremost it may be stated, that few skin complaints yield 
without the use of the bath. Some of the most inveterate kinds 
admit of no other remedy. All chronic painful affections, such as 
exist in the bones, joints especially, the broad muscles of the back, 
the thick muscles of the buttocks, thighs, constituting lumbago, 
rheumatism, neuralgia, &c, all more or less modifications of the 
same malady, are ameliorated and cured by medical bathing. The 
vapor-bath is an almost infallible cure for a cold. This and the 
warm bath may honestly be called the hot-water cure. It is greatly 
useful in chronic affections of the kidneys, in nervous affections of 



478 OUK FAMILY DOCTOR. 

various parts of the body — tic-doloureux especially — and also as a 
great renovator of health, inducing a healthful action upon the 
circulation, provoking the proper function of the liver and digestive 
organs, the skin, and all the various secretions. Steam-bathing 
constitutes a system in itself, and is worthy of every reliance and 
attention on the part of the profession and the public ; but theory 
will help very little either party. 

The Cold Bath. 

" The cold-water cure " has made a great stir in the world ; and it 
is ridiculous to suppose, notwithstanding the prejudices against it 
among certain medical men, and others who know nothing about it, 
that it is a mere chimera, when thousands of people live to tell of 
the immense service it has rendered them. No matter whether the 
cure has been effected by temperate living and by country exercise, 
certain it is, invalids who have employed cold bathing in conjunction, 
as far as they can judge by their own feelings, and as far as observers 
can declare from personal knowledge — certain it is, that cold bathing, 
either local or general, is a highly important remedy, and that by its 
means the parties in question have got well. Physic, without the 
observance of careful living, exercise, and fresh air, and other adjuncts, 
would do very little alone ; but the credit is usually given to the 
medicine, and why should not the bath be as fairly treated? The 
cold shower-bath — the douche-bath — where a large stream of cold 
water is forcibly directed to particular parts of the body, have seve- 
rally their patrons. The sitz-bath, similar to the common hip-bath, 
but not so deep, is really a great agent in diseases of the pelvic vis- 
ceraj or organs contained in the lower part of the abdomen, and in 
nervous affections, pains, and debility of the neighboring structures, 
female complaints, &c. The cold-plunge bath, although taken, per- 
haps, more for pastime than health, yields both. Mark the color and 
glow of the bather after a jump in, a short swim, and a quick dress- 
ing — consult his feelings the remainder of the day, and he will tell 
you the bath strengthens him, cheers his spirits, gives him a fresh- 
ness of feeling unattainable by any other means; that, in fact, he 
longs for the next morning to give him his next immersion. Why 
do people congregate by the seaside and there venture among the 
sportive waves, allowing the foaming sea to engulf them, were they 
not convinced they derived benefit from the practice? Young and 



PRESERVATION OF HEALTH AND GUIDE TO LONG LIFE. 479 

old, after a sojourn, even though it be brief, at the coast, return home 
renovated and replenished with healthful and happy looks, and the 
majority will speak with rapture of the benefits of sea-bathing. In- 
deed, the fact is incontrovertible. Of course, cold-bathing, in all its 
forms, requires some little prudence in its indulgence. It is not wise 
to remain in too long, nor can it be done with impunity any more 
than in the warm bath (two errors of frequent happening), and there- 
fore certain rules should be observed as a guidance ; for instance, 
except an immediate reaction follows the immersion, the shock of 
the bath leaves behind a chill which may end in a severe cold, or 
establish rheumatism, or set up fever or general irritability, and it 
may thereby weaken instead of strengthen the bather. It is therefore 
prudent to jump in, move about for a couple of minutes, come out 
and dress, and then walk about to keep up the excitement. The best 
time for bathing is the morning, either before or after breakfast — 
before, if strong enough, or an hour after breakfast ; if the former 
time prove not so salutary, cold bathing tells its effects very speedily ; 
if it disagree, the sensations will bespeak as much ; if, on the contrary, 
the desire to repeat it will predominate. The bath should never be 
taken on a full stomach ; and it is unwise to compel young people 
to bathe against their inclinations. Diffidence may be overcome ; but 
dread, if defied, may produce illness. Bathers must, in all instances, 
be guided by their feelings when and how often they may take the 
baths ; but they may safely venture every or every other morning. 
The cold shower-bath may be taken every morning all the year round ; 
and some people take the same evenings also, and with benefit. The 
temperature (for that varies, owing to the weather, situation, &c.) 
must be studied. Some weak systems can not command a wholesome 
and prompt reaction from a very cold bath, and therefore the bath 
should be changed for a tepid; but the ordinary cold bath in the 
summer season, as at the sea, is about the most agreeable and 
safe. 

In conclusion, cold water, whether in tub, stream, or sea, is one of 
those beneficent gifts nature has bestowed on man for his own use, 
and, if employed with careful consideration, affords the end in view 
— universal good — and can not but elicit from every thankful mind 
the homage and gratitude due to the great and benevolent author 
of its source. 



480 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 



PART VI. 



Common Questions Answeeed. 



Why do many persons experience uneasiness and pain after 
drinking freely ofmilJc? 

Because the milk, after it reaches the stomach, is changed by the 
gastric juice into curdy lumps, which, like lumpy cheese in the 
stomach, is difficult of digestion. Milk with bread crumbed into it, 
is prevented from being changed into lumps so large as to be slow 
of digestion. A little lime-water added to milk prevents its being 
curdled in the stomach. Milk curdled before being eaten is a very 
nutritious and easily digested article of diet. 

India-rubber overshoes worn in Winter — Why do they cause the 
feet to be excessively cold? 

Because rubber is an excellent conductor of cold and heat, con- 
ducting cold almost instantly to the feet, at the same time conduct 
ing the heat of the feet away from the feet. It prevents the escape 
of the perspiration of the feet and they quickly become damp, even 
in the warmest room. Tbe best overshoes are known as the Arctic, 
with soles of rubber and uppers of heavy cloth, lined with woollen. 

Is it not a fact that bright moonlight affects a sleeping person 
injuriously f 

It is. Persons of a pecu! ar susceptible nervous temperament 
asleep in a dark room will ; at soon as the bright rays of a full moon 
fall upon them, presently get up and walk about in a somnambulic 
state. This is termed "moonstruck." But few persons can sleep 
with the light of the moon upon them without experiencing its 
effects. If they are not awakened, they become uneasy and turn 



COMMON QUESTIONS ANSWERED. 481 

restlessly from side to side. Many dogs, fastened out in the bright 
moonlight, will sit on their haunches, gaze at the beautiful orb, and 
howl most dismally. Foreigners in Eastern countries travelling at 
night to escape the torrid heat of the sun, are obliged to use um- 
brellas to protect themselves from the injurious effects on the brain 
of the powerful rays of the moon. 

Moral. — Before retiring for the night see that your room is pro- 
tected from moonlight. 

Why are white or light-colored clothes cooler in Summer, and black 
or brown warmer in Winter? 

Because white clothing throws off heat, while black absorbs it. 
Grapes, and other fruits, placed against a dark wall, will ripen 
earlier than if against light-colored walls, because, for the same 
reason, they are warmer. 

Why, even in the hottest Summer weather, do firemen, and others 
exposed to great heat, wear heavy flannel shirts ? 

Woollen, being a non-conductor, protects the body from the 
direct rays of heat, and is a protection against sudden changes of 
temperature. The high non-conducting power of the woollens is 
shown by the practice of preserving ice in hot weather by simply 
wrapping it in flannel. Thus our winter apparel is made of woollen 
fabrics, which prevent the escape of the heat from the body. 

Why is night air unwholesome? 

Because the decomposition of vegetable matter yields products 
which are detrimental to health, take place everywhere upon the 
surface of the ground, though lifted and dispersed during the day 
are condensed and confined so close to the earth at night as to affect 
the breathing stratum of the air. The importance of having the 
sleeping apartments on the upper floors is thus apparent. 

What classes of Food are Constipating and what Laxative ? 

Some aliments have a relaxing effect, and others are of a binding 
nature, or tend to constipation, and they differ much in degrees in 
which these effects are produced. These results are not, however, 
due to the specific active effects produced upon the bowels ; for some 
foods, as meats, eggs, milk, are considered to be binding because they 
are completely absorbed and leave no residue to excite the intestines 



482 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

to action. Those aliments are best adapted to relieve a costive habit 
of body which leave much undigested refuse to stimulate the intes- 
tines to free action. 

FOOD OF A CONSTIPATING TENDENCY. 

Bread and cakes from fine wheaten flour, rice, beans, peas, cheese, 
milk, meats, eggs, tea, alcoholic drinks. 

FOOD OF A LAXATIVE TENDENCY. 

Wheaten bread and cakes from bolted flour, rye bread, corn bread, 
raw sugar (from the molasses it contains), fruits, raw and cooked, and 
generally substances abounding in ligneous matter, as skins, cores, 
husks, bran, &c. 

Why is the advice so often repeated, especially to young people — 
to eat sloicly, masticate the food icellf 

Because three pairs of glands in the mouth pour forth a fluid some- 
what similar to the gastric juice. It moistens the food in the mouth, 
so that it may assume the proper pastry condition. It begins the 
operation of digestion. It converts sugar into lactic acid, and starch. 
(Chew a little pure starch for a short time and it will become sweet; 
a portion of it has been changed to sugar). The importance of slowly 
and thoroughly masticating our food is thus apparent. 

"Good livers" — those who enjoy eating — are always deliberate at 
their meals; they masticate slowly, and are thus enabled to enjoy the 
pleasures of taste in perfection. The food goes into the stomach 
well prepared for the action of the gastric juice — digestion is easy 
and perfect, and our "good liver" is plump, robust, and jolly. 

Many persons chew their food for a moment and then "wash it 
down" with a copious swallow of tea, coffee, or whatever their usual 
table drink may be. This practice is certain to cause dyspepsia. 

Note. — Cheese as ordinarily chewed and swallowed in small lumps 
is difficult of digestion, and often causes pain. It can be eaten with 
impunity if well masticated and allowed to dissolve in the mouth 
before being swallowed. 

Why does not the stomach digest itself? 

Because it is protected during the process by a sheath of mucus, 
and the continuous formation of protecting cells, called epithelium. 

Why is it unwholesome to breathe in one's face? 
Because the breath is laden with noxious carbonic acid from the 



COMMON QUESTIONS ANSWEKED. 483 

lungs ; carbonic acid is so poisonous that breathed pure it kills in- 
stantly. We breathe oxygen and return to the atmosphere carbonic 
acid — each adult exhaling about one hundred and forty gallons daily. 
This shows the importance of keeping rooms well ventilated. 

Carbonic acid largely diluted with air, as in crowded public halls 
with insufficient ventilation, acts as a narcotic poison ; many of the 
audience suffer from headache or stupor, while others faint away, 
— not " because it was so hot," but from breathing carbonic acid with 
which the room was being filled from the lungs of the crowd. 

Why are plants in sleeping-rooms unhealthy ? 

Because they give forth the poisonous carbonic acid. Plants are 
"healthy" during the day, when they absorb carbonic acid, and re- 
turn life-giving oxygen. 

Why is the popular German beverage called Lag er-beerf 
Lager is from lagen, to lag, — the beer being stored in vaults 
for several months before consumption. 

Are ales, strong beers, dtc, nutritious? — Do they fatten? 

No. They stimulate temporarily, but have no strength-giving 
properties whatever. Used freely, the alcohol they contain prevents 
certain necessary wastes of the system, resulting, with many persons 
in that puffy condition known as bloat — unnatural and unhealthy. 
It is a well-known fact how difficult it is to heal cuts and wounds on 
the persons of habitual beer-drinkers. 

What is the meaning of dry wines ? 

The sweetness of wines is due to undecomposed grape-sugar, the 
ferment being exhausted before all the sugar is changed. When 
the sugar is wholly decomposed, the wines are called "dry," as 
claret, sherry, &c. 

Are pies and cakes unwholesome food? 

Not necessarily so. A pie with light delicate crust, filled with fruit 
sauce spiced so as to be scarcely susceptible, is one of the most nutri- 
tious and easily digested articles of food. It is when the crusts are 
heavy and soggy, and the fillings bitter with spices, that pies become 
a trouble to those with delicate stomachs. Mince pies as commonly 
made are an abomination under all circumstances. It is one of the 



484 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

most difficult articles to digest that can be eaten. It can be "tasted" 
thirty hours after it should have passed from the stomach, and by per- 
sons of sound digestive powers. 

Mince pies are a common article of diet in New-England, during 
the winter season, and a leaner or more dyspetic race can not be 
found than the New-England people. 

Light plain cake is easily digested and very nutritious. Arctic 
explorers now take with them a supply of rich fruit-cake, as it has 
been found that it possesses greater strength and heat producing 
properties than any other article of food. 

Why does eating too much candy, Sc, spoil children s teeth ? 
By injuring the digestive powers. Dyspeptics have decaying 
teeth to an uncommon extent. Children have a natural craving for 
sugar in whatever form, and if not given to them injudiciously is an 
important element of growth and strength. 

"Why are young children sometimes paralyzed from sitting on 
marble or stone steps in Summer? 

From the shock and injury to the nerves resulting from the con- 
tact of the child with the marble, which, an excellent reflector of 
heat, is quite cold compared with the temperature of the child. 

Why do we feel depressed in damp, moist weather? 

When the weather is cool and clear and bracing, the atmosphere 
is full of electricity; when it is sultry and moist and without sun- 
shine, it holds but a small amount of electricity, comparatively 
speaking, and we have to give up what little we have, moisture being 
a good conductor ; thus, in giving up instead of receiving more, as 
we would from the cool, pure air, the change is too great, and the 
whole man languishes. 

Why do many men become bald, and women not? 

"When the scalp is debilitated and relaxed from any cause, as in 
fevers, the wearing of tight, unventilated hats, long-continued 
headaches, producing heat of the scalp, &c, the hair falls out. If 
the tight hats are worn for years, and the headaches are severe and 
frequent, permanent loss of hair is the result, and this is called 
baldness. 



COMMON QUESTIONS ANSWEKED. 485 

Baldness is confined almost exclusively to men, and to those whose 
business or profession require a constant and consecutive use of the 
brain — thinking powers— as large merchants, manufacturers, lawyers, 
doctors, editors, clergymen, professors, judges, statesmen,* &c. 

Observation will show how almost universal baldness is amongst 
the middle-aged of this class of workers, and the cause is simple. 
Earnest thinking causes an immediate extra flow of blood to the 
brain, increasing the temperature proportionally; thus the scalp of 
brain-workers is subjected to a greater than the average amount of 
scalp-heat. It gradually becomes debilitated, the hair falls, and bald- 
ness is the result. 

Women wear no tightly-fitting hats ; their position in life requires 
of them no undue amount of thinking, and the brain remains at its 
natural temperature (excepting, of course, during times of headache), 
and so baldness among women is comparatively rare. 

Why do intelligent physicians frequently recommend their patients 
to sleep on beds standing North and South f 

That the current of magnetism constantly passing around the 
earth from South to North may pass through the body in a length- 
wise direction. It has been found that a class of nervous invalids 
lying with their heads East and West will become restless and un- 
easy from no apparent cause, and their sleep will be unrefreshing, 
and of short duration. Changing the position so that the head shall 
be towards the North or South, and the patient becomes quiet and 
restful, and the sleep sound and refreshing. 

Is it injurious to health to drink water at meals? 

No, not if taken in reasonable quantities. It has been taught 
that the effect of swallowing much liquid during meals is to lower 
the digestive power by debilitating and weakening the gastric juice. 
This is, however, denied by high authority. The eminent Dr. Cham- 
bers, of London, asserts that "a moderate meal is certainly easier 
digested when diluents are taken than without it." Again he re- 
marks, " aqueous fluids in large quantities during meals, burden the 
stomach with an extra bulk of matter, and therefore often cause 
pain and discomfort, but that they retard digestion I do not believe ; 
indeed, among the sufferers from gastric derangements of all kinds, 
cases frequently occur of those who can not digest at all without a 
much more fluid diet than is usual among healthy persons." 



486 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

Js out-of-door exercise before breakfast healthful? 

No ; on the contrary, from the very nature of things it is hurtful, 
especially to persons of j)oor health, although the very vigorous may 
practice it with impunity. In winter the body is easily chilled 
through and through, unless the stomach has been fortified with a 
good warm breakfast ; and in warm weather, miasmatic and mala- 
rious gases and emanations speedily act upon the empty and we .k 
stomach in a way to vitiate the circulation and induce fever and 
ague, diarrhoea, and dysentery. Entire families, who have arranged 
to eat breakfast before leaving the house, and to take supper before 
sundown, have had a complete exemption from fever and ague, while 
the whole community around them was suffering from it, from hav- 
ing neglected these precautions. 

Why is fresh bread unwholesome f 

Because of its indigestibility. New bread contains much moisture ; 
and, on being chewed is formed into small pasty lumps, that remain 
in the stomach for hours before the gastric juice can dissolve and 
dispose of them. 

The digestibility of preparations of flour depends first and mainly 
upon their condition as respects lightness or heaviness. The porous 
and spongy state, as in good stale (one day old) bread, is most favor- 
able to the penetration and action of the digestive juices, while gluti- 
nous masses in a dense compact condition, are the torment of weak 
stomachs, requiring the strongest digestive powers for their reduc- 
tion. It is very difficult to preserve the loose and open texture of 
dough in boiling, and hence pastry, dumplings, &c, are very rarely 
light or digestible. 

Our best puddings are made of rice, sago, or Indian meal, baked. 
Boiled Indian puddings are not very difficult of digestion, and are 
far preferable to those of wheat. Batter puddings are not so easily 
digested, and suet pudding is to be considered the most mischievous 
to weak stomachs in the whole catalogue. 

Why are late and hearty suppers injurious f 

Because active digestion and sleep mutually disturb each other, as 
at night exhalation of carbonic acid is slowest, and tissue charges 
most retarded ; the over-loaded blood is not relieved, and invades the 
repose of the brain, producing heavy disordered dreams, followed 
by headache and ill- humor in the morning. 



PERSONAL BEAUTY. 487 



PERSONAL BEAUTY. 



THE TOILET: 

New, Simple, and Efficient Preparations. 



the hair. i 

A thick, handsome head of hair is generally acknowledged to be a 
good thing to have. Many do possess it, and many others might, 
but from sheer neglect in the care of this "divine ornament." The 
scalp should be kept clean and free from scurf, dandruff, and the 
dirty accumulations caused by the use of oily hair preparations, &c. 
Everybody knows this, and yet how generally neglected is the care 
of the hair and scalp. 

HAIR WASH. 

An unequalled hair wash for cleansing the scalp and hair from all 
impurities is a tablespoonful of hartshorn in a pint of water. Rub 
thoroughly into the hair and over the scalp, and then wash the head 
with clear water. 

The use of this wash once or twice a week, renders the hair and 
beard soft and glossy, and greatly promotes its growth. 

DANDRUFF. A CURE. 

After the scalp and hair have been purified of dirt and dandruff 
by use of the above wash, future annoyance from dandruff can be 
prevented by dampening the scalp three or four times per week 
(oftener if necessary) with sulphur- water, made by putting one-half 
ounce of flour of sulphur into a pint of water, shaking occasionally 
for two days, and then pouring off into a clean bottle. This "cure 
for dandruff" is new and of great value. The neglect of keeping the 
scalp free from those scaly particles known as dandruff shows a lack 
of personal cleanliness not particularly commendable. A lady with 
her hair powdered with scurf is not particularly angelic ; and a 
gentleman with his coat-collar whitened with dandruff is surely not 
a fascinating object. 

HAIR PREPARATIONS. 

As the hair of but few persons is sufficiently oily of itself to be of 
desirable appearance, and to keep in a proper position, the use of va- 
rious hair preparations is almost universal. A fine article is made as 
follows : — 



488 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

Strong Alcohol, , 1 pint. 

Castor Oil, . 2 ounces. 

Tincture of Spanish Flies, 2 drachms. 

Oils Bergamot and Lavender, of each 10 drops. 

Nothing superior to the above was ever made. It is not too greasy 
to be objectionable. It renders the hair glossy and silken, and is 
sufficiently stimulating to prevent the hair from falling out, and often 
induces an unusually fine growth, and not the least, it is cheap, and 
quickly made. 

GLYCEEINE WASHES. 

Glycerine washes, for the hair, are objectionable. They render the 
hair disagreeably sticky, causing it to "catch dirt" to such an extent 
that the scalp must be washed every few days, in order to keep it in 
a wholesome condition. 

POMATUMS. 

Pomatums are liable to nearly the same objections. Besides, they 
are almost without exception made of lard, which is liable to become 
rancid and acrid, thus irritating the scalp, and not unfrequently caus- 
ing sores. 

GREY HAIR. HAIR-DYES. 

From various causes, generally unknown, the hair turns prema- 
turely grey. Nothing will restore it to its original natural color, 
but it can be artificially colored so as to be quite of satisfactory 
appearance. 

The quantity of hair-dye used in this country almost exceeds 
belief. The very best, because producing an almost perfectly 
natural color, and at one time the most popular, was the well-known 
sulphur and sugar of lead dye. In 1866 it was sold under more 
than four hundred and sixty names, by actual computation. As one 
dollar was charged per bottle, and as the entire cost was about five 
and one-half cents per bottle, including the bottle and wrapper, 
almost every druggist and barber in the country put up the stuff 
under some attractive title, and proclaimed its virtues in the most 
positive manner. It was always "not a dye," and it would "restore 
the hair to its original color." Rich firms advertised it enormously, 
and the result was that for a number of years it seemed as if every 
third person was using the abominable dye. The odor it gave to 
the person using it was truly disgusting. The sulphur and" lead 
were quickly absorbed through the pores of the scalp and the head, 
and the entire body became stenchful indeed from the foetid, sul- 
phur-laden perspiration. 



PEKSONAL BEAUTY. 489 

Presently physicians in every part of the country found that cases 
of paralysis (formerly an uncommon disease) were becoming alarm- 
ingly frequent, and on due investigation it was found that the cause 
was from the use of the lead and sulphur hair-dye. 

Dr. G. H. Taylor, who treats a large number of paralytics every 
year, at his well-known "Movement-Cure Institute" in New York, 
found this class of patients increasing to an unusual extent. Inves- 
tigation showed that in many recent cases the cause was from the 
use of the hair-dye in question. An eyelid or one side of the face or 
neck is usually first paralyzed, then an arm, finally an entire side, — 
generally the left. In 1869 a lady was taken to Dr. Taylor for con- 
sultation who had used the hair-dye so long and so freely, that her 
grey hairs had become jet black. The odor from her person was 
sickening. Sbe was entirely paralyzed — could only move her head, 
and speak. She died after lingering a few weeks in this condition, 
at her home in Brooklyn, N. Y. 

A year or two since an editor in a western city died from the effects 
of this poisonous dye. The newspaper immediately made a hue and 
cry; chemists analyzed and warned ; doctors cautioned their patients ; 
the result has been that the use of the preparation has decreased 
largely. Still it is extensively used, and it is to save many from pos- 
sible disease and death that we have given so much space to the no- 
tice of this most dangerous article. 

"But I am not old, and my hair is turning grey, — what shall I do? " 
"Well, if you will color your hair, use only such dyes as are known to 
be harmless — which are the "silver dyes," almost the only kind in 
the market. 

The following simple "hair stain" has no superior. Put into a 
perfectly clean bottle: — 

Nitrate of Silver, 75 grains. 

Ammonia, 1 ounce. 

Alcohol, Bounces. 

Water, 9 ounces. 

Keep the bottle well corked and in a dark place. The hair should 
be well cleaned with soap and warm water and then wiped dry, 
before each application. The stain is used by combing the hair 
thoroughly with a fine comb dipped in the preparation; no wash- 
ing is required after the operation. The first application gives a 
reddish-brown color. The second a brown, and the third a black 
color. After each application expose the head to the sunlight for 



4y0 OUR FAMILY DOCTOK. 

fifteen or twenty minutes, if convenient, then oil and keep well 
oiled. 

Gentlemen will find this a most satisfactory article for obliterating 
white hairs among their whiskers, and for " touching up " the beard 
or moustache to any shade desired. 

To give "hair-dye receipts" here we think would be superfluous, 
as numbers of them can be found in any of the one or more "receipt 
books " that almost every family possesses. 

CUKLING THE HATE. 

Preparations are being continually advertised that are claimed will 
cause the straightest, stiffest hair to curl in wavy, massive ringlets. 
A genuine swindle. Nothing but mechanical means — the curling-iron, 
&c, will cause the hair to curl, or crimp, in the slightest degree. 

The inane belief of a certain class of young persons, that the hair 
can be curled by the use of "curling fluids," &c, was recently rather 
expensively illustrated. A western sharper, fully alive to the weakness 
of young folks on the subject of curly hair, advertised in several 
papers of large circulation, a "magnetic curling-comb," warranted to 
cause the stiffest hair to curl beautifully. In a short time this genius 
received over thirteen thousand orders at one dollar each — the price 
of the comb. A common ten cent horn comb, with a bit of copper 
wire twisted about it, was sent at first, but presently nothing what- 
ever. 

Hair artificially curled is not becoming, while the twisting process 
around the wood or iron breaks the fibres of the hair and seriously 
injures it. 

BANDOLINES. 

Bandolines for the hair, are preparations entirely free from grease 
for keeping the hair in place, giving it a glossy appearance, &c. One 
of the best, and most simple, is made by pouring a teacup of boiling 
water, on ten or fifteen quince-seeds ; strain, pour into a bottle, and 
add five drops of the oil of cloves or cinnamon. 

TWO HAIK-BEUSHES. 

Every person should be provided with two hair-brushes — an ordi- 
nary brush of good stiff hair, the other a friction or shampoo brush of 
stiff, black, uneven hair. Before dressing the hah* in the morning, 
the scalp should be thoroughly "polished" with the shampoo-brush. 
Nothing gives such tone and vigor to the scalp, and prevents a 
tendency to fall out. It is an excellent sanitary operation in other 
respects. A person who of a morning gets up drowsy and unrefreshed, 



PERSONAL BEAUTY. 491 

after giving his scalp a brisk rubbing with the stiff brash, will 
experience a surprising change in his feelings for the better. A 
brisk friction of the scalp in a like manner will often cure head- 
ache. 

BALDNESS. 

Baldness, unless caused by fever or a similar cause, is generally 
incurable. One of the most successful remedies ever used, and we 
believe now published for the first time, is prepared as follows: — 

Glycerine, 4 ounces. 

Tannin, 1 drachm. 

Tincture of Cantharides, , 2 drachms. 

Oil of Capsicum, 10 drops. 

Apply to the bald spots morning and evening. 

CHARACTER AS INDICATED BY THE HAIR. 

Stiff, straight and abundant hair and beard are combined with a 
character which is straightforward, unyielding, strong, and rather 
bluff. 

Fine hair and dark skin, show purity, goodness, and strong mind. 

Black hair, a dark skin, and bilious temperament are usually 
found together. There is strength of character and sensuality. 

Fine brown hair indicates exquisite sensibility, with strong will for 
what is good and right, if not perverted. 

If the hair is coarse, black, and sticks up, there is not much talk- 
ing, and the person is apt to be stubborn, sour, and harsh. 

"White hair, as a general rule, indicates a good, easy, lazy fellow. 
There is animosity in coarse red hair, with unusual firmness of pur- 
pose and strength of character. Hasty, impetuous, rash people, have 
curly and crispy hair. Bed hair indicates a fiery temperament, pas- 
sion, and devotion. Auburn hair, which is hair of a golden hue, having 
a yellowish tinge, with a florid face, gives purity, intensity, and great 
capacity for enjoyment and suffering. Wavy hair is pliable, yeilding, 
accommodating. The dark-haired races —the Spaniard, the Malay, the 
Mexican, the Indian, and the Negro, have physical strength, endurance, 
robustness in body. The light-haired races are the thinkers of the 
world, the poets, and the artists. Dark-brown hair combines the two, 
and is the most desirable. 

THE SKIN, COMPLEXION, &c. 
PIMPLES, FLESH- WORMS, OR " BLACK-HEADS." 

The skin is a marvellous piece of lace-work, through the interstices 
or pores of which there is constantly escaping insensible perspira- 
tion and an oily secretion. 



492 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

In a torpid condition of the skin there appears on the face, nose, 
and lower part of the forehead of many persons, what are called 
"black heads," "flesh worms," &c, — often in great numbers, and 
causing an exceedingly disagreeable appearance. When the skin is 
pressed with the finger-nails they come out in vermicular form, 
having a black point or head, which gives rise to the name grubs, or 
flesh-worms, which they are, being real, living worms, which has 
been ascertained by microscopical examination. 

They can generally be permanently removed by pressing them 
out with the finger-nails, and then bathing the parts with mild salt 
water. The skin should receive gentle friction daily with a coarse 
towel. 

PIMPLES, BED AND MATTERATED. 

If these are the result of an inactive liver, disordered digestion, 

or constipation, proper means must be employed to remove these 

ailments. Nothing will accomplish this more effectually and harm- 

lessly than the use of the following pills : — 

Strychnia, 1 grain. 

Quinine, 1 scruple. 

Leptandrin, 1 drachm. 

Hydrastin, 15 grains. 

Make into thirty pills, one to be taken immediately after breakfast, 
daily. 

Pimples are generally the result of an inactive and unhealthy 
condition of the skin. A cure is generally accomplished by the use 
of the following : — 

Corrosive Sublimate, 8 grains. 

Muriate of Ammonia, 30 grains. 

Water, 1 gill. 

Bathe the pimples twice daily with this wash, using a bit of soft 
cotton cloth. Carbolic soap or pine-tar soap, to be bought in almost 
any drug store, dipped in water and rubbed over the pimply portion 
of the face, usually proves an effectual cure. 

FRECKLES, BROWN SPOTS, MOTH SPOTS. 

A peculiar chemical combination of iron and oxygen in the blood 
of many persons produces that appearance of the skin known as 
freckles, moth-patches, brown spots, &c. It is no question of health 
— those most freckled being generally blessed with most vigorous 
health. Those with very light or red hair (which is caused by red- 
colored oil, more strongly impregnated with iron than others), are 
most liable to freckles, &c. 



PERSONAL BEAUTY. 493 

The proper means of removing freckles and moth-patches is in the 
use of those chemicals which will dissolve and dissipate the existing 
combination situated in the second or middle membrane of the skin. 
As those with freckly faces have very naturally an intense desire for 
a clear skiD, it gives us pleasure to be able to give here a new and 
positive cure for freckles, &c. 

Sulpho-Carbolate of Zinc, 2 parts. 

Glycerine, 25 parts. 

Rose- Water, 25 parts. 

Alcohol, 5 parts. 

Apply twice daily, and let remain from one-half to one hour. Then 
wash with cold water. 

To improve the complexion- 
Corrosive Sublimate, 10 grains. 

Oxide of Zinc, \ drachm. 

Muriate of Ammonia, 3- drachm. 

Soft Water, , \ pint. 

Use a piece of soft cotton cloth, and apply once or twice daily, 
slightly moistening the skin. The above has been extensively used 
for the removal of freckles, and other discolorations of the skin. A 
simple and excellent cosmetic for softening, whitening, and beautify- 
ing the complexion and hands, is made by mixing four parts of the 
yellow of an egg and five parts of glycerine, and rubbing them well 
together with a pestle. Apply to the face on going to bed. Bub well 
into the hands after each washing. It will keep for years, and is an 
admirable preparation for all bruises of the skin. 

The use of paints and powders, however harmless they may be of 
themselves — as powdered starch — clogs the pores of the skin, and it 
becomes rough, sallow, and wrinkled, and often pimply ; and a painted 
or powdered woman is such an unlovely object! 

THE TEETH. 

Probably less attention is given to the care of the teeth than to 
any other part of the body. Yet the teeth are the first importance ! 
But comparatively few rinse the mouth regularly after eating, or use 
a tooth-pick habitually. And food clogged between the teeth is such 
a disgusting sight ! It ferments — rots, giving the breath a bad smell, 
and causing the teeth to decay. • 

Besides the use of a tooth-pick, and rinsing the mouth after eating, 
the teeth should be thoroughly scrubbed with a good stiff tooth-brush 
at least once a day, — on retiring for the night is the best time, using 



494 OUE FAMILY DOCTOE. 

ThAd water. The teeth of many persons can not be kept clean and 
white without the use of a powder. The following is good, cheap, 
and safe: — 

Prepared Chalk, 4 ounces. 

Orris-Eoot (powdered), 2 ounces. 

Green Myrrh (powdered), jounce. 

Oil of Cinnamon, 20 drops. 

Keep in a corked bottle. 

Charcoal irritates the gums, and no preparation containing it 
should be used. Soap and soap preparations give the teeth a yellow- 
ish appearance, and hence are decidedly objectionable. 

ILL-SMELLING BKEATH. 

If caused by filthy teeth or a decaying tooth, the remedy is plainly 
to clean the teeth, and to have the offending tooth filled or taken 
out. 

If the cause is from a disordered stomach, of course the breath will 
be offensive till the digestion becomes good again, by due attention 
to diet, and proper medication. 

But the breath of many persons is ill-smelling from no apparent 
cause. Such persons can render the breath sweet temporarily at any 
time by chewing a kernel of roasted coffee. 

WASH YOUK FEET ! 

In cities, facilities for taking a hot bath are so many and convenient 
that every respectable person feels himself bemeaned if he does not 
occasionally give himself a good scrubbing with soap, brush, and hot 
water. But in villages and the country proper, things are different. 
To attempt a bathe in a washtub placed in the barn or back kitchen 
can not be considered particularly convenient; and the result is 
bathing in the country is not the general practice. One consequence 
is a good many feet that give forth exceedingly bad smells ! 

The pores of the soles of the feet are much larger than on any 
other parts of the body, and they pour out a large amount of perspi- 
ration, which condenses, mixes with dust and dirt, and forms that 
hard scaly crust that almost every person has noticed at some time 
on the soles of their feet. Wearing tight boots or shoes the per- 
spiration is confined — there is no "ventilation," and the result is 
about the feet of many persons, especially men, a most rottensome 
smell. Soak the feet ten or fifteen minutes, at least once a week, in 
a pail of hot water, well soaped, and then giving them a thorough 
scraping with a stiff-bladed knife. This will prevent all danger of 



VALUABLE MISCELLANEOUS INFOKMATION. 495 

bad smells from the feet, and add much to your feeling of personal 
comfort, at the same time lessening the liability of taking cold. 
Those who keep their feet scrupulously clean are much less liable to 
cold feet — have warmer feet in winter — than those who do not. 

Item. — The feet can be kept comfortably warm on an excessively 
cold day by wrapping a piece of newspaper about the feet over the 
stockings, and then drawing on the boots. 



VALUABLE MISCELLANEOUS INEOEMATION. 



CONSUMPTION.— COD-LIVER OIL.— FATTY FOOD. 

Masses of crude unorganized matter, containing coagulated albu- 
men and half-formed cells, and called tubercles, are frequently 
found in the lungs, producing tubercular consumption. The imme- 
diate cause of the disease is an abortive or perverted nutrition, 
tubercle being produced instead of true tissue. 

It has been lately maintained that the faulty nutrition which 
results in tubercle, is caused by deficiency of oily substances, and 
therefore such of these substances as are easiest digested and 
absorbed have been indicated as remedies. Cod-liver oil has come 
into general use for this purpose. Dr. Bennett, who first introduced 
this oil to the attention of the English and American public, states 
that butchers, cooks, oilmen, tanners, and others who are constantly 
coming in contact with fatty matter, are less liable than others to 
tubercular disease ; and Dr. Simpson has observed that children and 
young people employed in wool-factories where large quantities of 
oil are daily used, are generally exempt from scrofula and pulmonary 
consumption. These facts would indicate that even absorption of 
fatty matter through the skin may powerfully influence nutrition. 

Dr. Carpenter observes : " There is a strong tendency and increas- 
ing reason to believe that a deficiency of oleaginous matter, in a 
state fit for appropriation by the nutritive processes, is a fertile 
source of diseased action, especially that of a tubercular character ; 
and that the habitual use of it in larger proportion would operate 
favorably in the prevention of such maladies, as cod-liver oil unques- 
tionably does in their cure. A most remarkable example of this is 
presented in the population of Ireland, which, notwithstanding the 



496 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

concurrence of every one of the circumstances usually considered 
favorable to the scrofulous condition, enjoys a most remarkable 
immunity from it, without any other assignable cause than the 
peculiarly oleaginous character of the diet usually employed." 

Dr. Hooker, in a recent report, says: "First, of all persons between 
the ages of fifteen and twenty-two years, more than one-fifth eat no 
fat meat. Second, that of persons at the age of forty-five, all except- 
ing less than one in fifty, habitually use fat meat. Third, of those 
who have abstained, a few acquire the appetite for it, and live to a 
good old age, while the great proportion die of consumption before 
forty-five. Fourth, of persons dying of consumption between the 
ages of fifteen and forty-five, nine-tenths at least have never used fat 
meat." 

Dr. Chambers says : " The effect of cod-liver oil becomes less and 
less a marvel the more we know of physiology. An easily assimilated 
oil comes, in fact, into the short list of life-giving articles in the 
pharmacopcea, for it is itself the material by which life is manifested. 
Hence under its use, beneficial influences are exerted throughout 
the whole body ; old wounds and sores heal up ; the harsh, wrinkled 
skin regains the beauty of youth ; debilitating discharges cease, at 
the same time the normal secretions are more copious ; the mucus 
membranes become clear and moist, and are no longer loaded with 
sticky spithelum; the pulse, too, becomes slower, — that is to say, 
more powerful, for abnormal quickness here is always a proof of 
deficient vitality To find the easiest assimilated oil, and to prepare 
the digestion for the absorption of oil, are the main problems in the 
cure of consumption." 

TAPIOCA POISONOUS! 

Persons sometimes complain of headache after eating of plain 
tapioca pudding. It is not generally known that tapioca is a variety 
of starch which comes from South America, and is obtained from the 
root of a plant containing a poisonous milky juice. When it appears 
as a white powder, it is called Brazilian arrow-root. The term 
tapioca is commonly applied to that form of it which appears in 
small irregular lumps, caused by its having been dried on hot plates 
and then broken up into fragments. 

BED AND BEDDING FOR THE SICK. 

A patient's bed should always be in the lightest spot in the room, 
and he should be able to see out of a window. It is scarcely neces- 
sary to say that the old four-post bedstead, with curtains, is utterly 



VALUABLE MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION. 497 

inadmissible, whether for the sick or well. Hospital bedsteads are 
in many respects very much better than private ones. 

There is reason to believe that not a few of the cases apparently 
resembling scrofula among children proceed from the habit of sleep- 
ing with the head under the bed-clothes, and so inhaling air already 
breathed, which is. further contaminated by exhalations from the skin. 
Patients are sometimes given to a similar habit, and it often happens 
that the bed-clothes are so disposed that the patient must necessa- 
rily breathe air more or less poisoned by exhalations from the skin. 
A good nurse will be careful to attend to this. It is an important 
part, so to speak, of ventilation. 

It may be worth while to remark that where there is any danger of 
bed-sores, blankets should never be placed under the patient. It 
retains damp, and acts like a poultice. 

Never use anything but light blankets as bed-covering for the sick. 
The heavy cotton and impervious counterpane is bad, for the very 
reason that it keeps in the emanations from the sick person, while 
the blanket allows them to pass through. Weak patients are inva- 
riably distressed by a great weight of bed-clothes, which often pre 
vents their getting any sound sleep whatever. 

A word about pillows. Every weak patient, be his illness what it 
may, suffers more or less from difficulty in breathing. To take the 
weight of the body off the poor chest, which at best is hardly up to 
its work, ought, therefore, to be the object of the nurse in arranging 
the pillows. Now what does she do, and what are the consequences ? 
She piles the pillows one upon the other like a wall of bricks ; the 
head is thrown upon the chest, and the shoulders are pushed for- 
wards, so as not to allow the lungs room to expand. The pillows, in 
fact, lean upon the patient, not the patient upon the pillows. It is 
impossible to give a rule, for this, because it must vary with the fig- 
ure of the patient. 

Tall patients suffer much more than short ones, because of the 
drag of the long limbs upon the waist. But the object is to support, 
with the pillows, the back below the breathing apparatus and above 
the hips, so as to allow the shoulders room to fall back, and to sup- 
port the head, without throwing it forward. The suffering of the 
exhausted patient is greatly increased by the neglect of these points. 
And many an invalid, too weak to drag about the pillow himself, slips 
his book or anything at hand behind the lower part of his back to 
support it. 



498 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

THE IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING THE SKIN CLEAN. 

It has been ascertained by actual computation that there are 2,800 
holes or pores in every square inch of the human skin. The number 
of square inches of surface, in a person of ordinary height and bulk, 
is 2,500; the whole number of pores, therefore, is 7,000,000. Each 
of these pores is the aperture or mouth of a little tube, about a quar- 
ter of an inch long, called the perspiratory tube, and the amount of 
these for the entire body is 48,000 yards, or nearly twenty-eight miles. 
Twenty or thirty ounces of perspiration escape through these chan- 
nels daily, and upon evaporating into the air, leaves a residue upon 
the surface of animal and saline matter, consisting of acids, alkalies, 
calcareous earth, &c. 

It is a curious fact, illustrating the necessity of cleanliness and of 
keeping the pores of the skin open, that if a coat of varnish or other 
substance impervious to moisture be applied to the exterior of the 
body, death will ensue in about six hours. The experiment was once 
tried on a child in Florence. On the occasion of Pope Leo the 
Tenth's accession to the papal chair, it was desired to have a living 
figure to represent the Golden Age, and so a child was gilded all over 
with varnish and gold-leaf. The child died in a few hours. If the fur 
of a rabbit or the skin of a pig be covered with a solution of india- 
rubber in naphtha, the animal ceases to breathe in a couple of 
hours. 

INDICATIONS OF LONG LIFE FROM THE LOBES OF THE EAR. 

The physician can assure the patient with long lobes, in the ab- 
sence of malignant disease, of the probability of long life. He can 
speak with more confidence in regard to recovery from either acute 
or chronic diseases, when the lobe is long than when it is short. 
Nor will he fail to observe that a large proportion of sickly people 
have a short lobe, or none at all. 

Where a naturally strong constitution has suffered from excesses, 
the long lobe has become withered and wrinkled. And when one 
side of the brain, as indicated by a seated pain, has suffered more 
than the other, he will find the lobe of that side more withered than 
the other. Whatever tends to enfeeble the constitution, whether 
excessive toil, study, or venery, contributes to the change in the 
lobe. 

BENEFITS OF LAUGHTER. 

Probably there is not the remotest corner or little inlet of the mi- 
nute blood-vessels of the body that does not feel some wavelet from 



VALUABLE MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION. 499 

the great convulsion produced by hearty laughter shaking the cen- 
tral man. The blood moves more lively — probably its chemical, elec- 
tric, or vital condition, is distinctly modified — it conveys a different 
impression to all the organs of the body, as it visits them on that 
particular mystic journey, when the man is laughing, from what it 
does at other times. And thus it is that a good laugh lengthens a 
man's life by conveying a distinct and additional stimulus to the 
vital forces. 

SUGAR CANDY AND HOW IT IS COLORED. 

"When pure sugar is melted or dissolved, it forms a clear liquid, 
and when allowed to cool or dry without disturbance, it crystalizes 
into a transparent solid like glass. When threads are suspended in 
the sugar solution, crystals of extreme hardness collect upon them, 
which are known as rock candy. The cause of the whiteness in 
refined sugar is that the crystals are small, confused, and irregular. 
To make candy white, the sugar, while cooling, is agitated and 
worked (pulled), which breaks up the crystals and renders the mass 
opaque. Candy is commonly adulterated with flour, and frequently 
with chalk. Various colors are given to sugar confectionary by 
adding paints and dyes expressly for the purpose. Some of these 
are harmless and others poisonous. Those which are least injurious 
are the vegetable and animal coloring matters, but these neither 
form so brilliant colors nor are so lasting as the mineral compounds, 
which are most deadly. The following are the chief coloring sub- 
stances used by confectioners to beautify their sugar preparations : — 

Reds. — Oxide of lead (red lead), bisulphuret of mercury (vermillion), 
bisulphuret of arsenic (red orpiment). 

Yellows. — Gamboge, chromate of lead (chrome yellow), sulphuret 
of arsenic (yellow orpiment). 

Blues. — Cobalt, smalt (glass of cobalt), carbonate of copper, 
ferrocyanide of iron (Prussian blue), ultramarine. 

Greens. — Diacetate of copper (verdigris), arsenite of copper 
''emerald green), carbonate of copper (mineral green). 

Purples. — Formed by combining blues and reds. 

It may be alleged by some that these substances are employed in 
quantities too inconsiderable to prove injurious, but this is certainly 
not so, for the quantity used, as is amply indicated in many cases by 
the eye alone, is often quite large, and sufficient as is proved by 
numberless recorded and continually recurring instances, to occa- 
sion disease and death. It should be remembered, too, that these 



500 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR 

preparations of lead, mercury, copper, and arsenic, are what are 
termed cumulative, that is, they are liable to accumulate in the sys- 
tem, little by little, until at length the full effects of the poisons be- 
come manifested. Injurious consequences have been known to result 
from merely moistening wafers with the tongue ; now the ingredients 
used for coloring these include many that are employed in sugar 
confectionary. How much more injurious, then, must the consump- 
tion of sugar, thus painted, prove when these pigments are actually 
received into the stomach. 

Moral. — Allow the children to eat no candy that is colored. 

THE PULSE. 

The healthy pulse of an adult male person, of large and expansive 
frame, should be moderately full, even, and number from seventy to 
seventy-five beats in the minute. 

The healthy pulse of an adult male person, of smaller frame and 
proportions, should, in general, number from seventy-two to seventy- 
eight beats in a minute. The healthy pulse of an adult female should 
number from eighty to eighty-five beats in a minute. The healthy 
pulse of a young person, from seven to fourteen years of age, should 
number from eighty to eighty-six beats in a minute. The healthy 
pulse of a child under seven years old, from the period of teething, 
may be stated at from eighty-six to ninety-six beats a minute. The 
healthy pulse of an infant, before teething, may be placed at from 
one-hundred to one-hundred and twenty beats a minute, according 
as the child is robust or weakly ; the robust infant generally exhib- 
iting a less frequent but stronger pulsation. The healthy pulse in 
old age may be stated, for the male at from fifty-five to sixty-five 
beats; and for females, at from sixty-five to seventy beats in a 
minute. 

The main point in all ordinary ailments is the rapidity of the pulse, 
seventy beats in a minute being the average standard in health, in 
middle life ; all above that indicates that the heart is excited, and is 
exhausting the vital forces. The quicker any machine runs, the faster 
it wears out ; so with the body ; in proportion as the heart is beating 
over seventy in a minute, fever is wasting the system. 

The pulse of the consumptive is always fast, generally over ninety, 
gradually increases, and the consumptive certainly dies. 

A pulse of seventy-five indicates fever: if at ninety or a hundred, 
a high fever. 

If the pulse is simply fast, it is fever ; if it is fast and hard, beats 



- 



VALUABLE MISCELLANEOUS INFOKMATION. 501 

like the vibration of a string tightly drawn, it is inflammation, and 
there is danger always. The pulse is infallible as an index of inflam- 
mation in any part of the body ; it is immaterial where it is, the wrist 
says it is in the body somewhere, and always alarms the physician. 

MILK AS FOOD. 

As an article of diet it would appear that the nutritive value of 
milk, as compared with other articles of animal food, is not generally 
appreciated. There is less difference between the economical value 
of milk, beefsteak, eggs, or fish, than is commonly supposed. The 
quantity of water in good milk is 86 to 87 per cent, in round steak 
75 per cent, in fatter beef 60 per cent, in eggs about 68 per cent. 
From several analyses recently made, it is estimated sirloin steak 
(reckoning loss from bone) at 35 cents a pound, as dear as milk at 
24 cents a quart ; round steak at 20 cents a pound, as dear as milk 
at 14 cents a quart ; eggs at 30 cents a dozen, as dear as milk at 20 
cents a quart ; corned beef at 17 cents, as dsar as milk at 15 cents. 
The result from these deductions seems to oe that milk at even 12 
cents a quart is the cheapest animal food that can be used. 

Granting this to be true, another question arises, which must be 
settled if we would expect to derive the full benefit of using milk as 
an article of diet. It is known by experience that milk does not 
equally agree with all persons — in the case of some, producing 
headache and feverish symptoms, and in others giving rise to bilious- 
ness. These consequences are no doubt owing in a measure to the 
peculiar idiosyncrasy of those thus affected; but before it can be 
adopted as an article of diet it should, as far as may be, be rendered 
free from these objections. In order to do this, it would be well to 
first understand the cause of the difficulty. Milk, after being taken 
into the stomach, is converted into almost a solid curd by the heat, 
and the acid given off by that organ combining with potash and the 
soda which the milk contained, and which was necessary to keep it 
in a state of solution. The watery portion being separated and 
absorbed, the gastric juice finds it difficult to penetrate and break 
down the remaining curd, which now acts as a crude indigestible 
substance in the stomach, giving rise, by reflex action, to headache, 
and, by its irritating presence, interfering with the digestion of other 
substances that may be going on. In consequence, the contents 
pass out of the stomach in an imperfectly digested condition, and in 
their subsequent course through the system are not properly assim- 
ilated; and on arriving at the liver, clog that great strainer of the 



502 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

blood. The bile not being properly poured out of that organ, the 
blood in passing though it becomes impregnated with bilious mat- 
ter, which is carried on through the round of the circulation, showing 
its effects in the yellow tinge of the eyes and the skin, and occasion- 
ing those general unpleasant symptoms comprehended under the 
term of biliousness. 

In order to render milk more digestible, its particles should be 
divided, which can be effected by bread, or some other farinaceous 
article. When cooked with rice and eggs (rice pudding), it forms 
the type of a proper food, — containing nitrogen, phosphates, and 
starch. Milk, when used as a drink, should be boiled, then diluted 
with water. The solid matter of milk constitutes a little more than 
12J per cent of the whole, of which more than one-third is casein, 
or the cheese principle, about one-quarter is butter, and the balance 
sugar and salts. Of these substances, the butter and the sugar 
supply heat to the body, while the casein contains tissue-making 
material in a most concBitrated form. 

CURIOUS FACT. MAN MOSTLY WATEE. 

The living animal is made up for the most part of water. A man 
of 154 lbs. weight contains 116 lbs. of water, and only 38 lbs. of dry 
matter. From his skin and his lungs water is continually evapor- 
ating. The amount of water thus evaporated is 3^- lbs. daily, of 
which one-third comes from the lungs and one-third from the skin. 
Were the air around him perfectly dry, his skin would become 
parched and shrivelled, and thirst would constantly oppress his 
fevered frame. The air which, breathes from his lungs, is loaded 
with moisture. Were that which he draws in entirely free from 
watery vapor, he would soon breathe out the fluids which fill up his 
tissues, and he would dry up into a withered and ghastly mummy. 
It is because the simoon and other hot winds of the desert approach 
to this state of dryness, that they are so fatal to those who travel on 
the arid waste. 

ALL ABOUT COLDS. HOW TO AVOID THEM. HOW TO CURE THEM. 

Millions of canals or tubes from the inner portions of the body open 
their little mouths at the surface, and through these channels, as 
ceaseless as the flow of time, a fluid containing the waste and impu- 
rities of the system is passing outwards, and is emptied out on the 
skin. Ordinarily, it is so attenuated, so nearly like the air, that it 
can not be seen with the naked eye, but extraordinarily, under the 
influence of increased natural or artificial heat, as from exercise or 



VALUABLE MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION. 503 

fire, v this fluid is more profuse, and is seen and known as "the sweat 
of the brow " — perspiration. 

This fluid must have exit, or we die in a few hours. If it does not 
have vent at the surface of the body, it must have some internal out- 
let. Nature abhors shocks as she does a vacuum. Heat distends the 
mouths of these ducts, and promotes a larger and more rapid flow 
of the contained fluid ; on the other hand, cold contracts them, and 
the fluid is at first arrested, dams up, and rebounds. If these mouths 
are gradually closed, nature has time to adapt herself to the circum- 
stances by opening her channels into the great internal "water-ways " 
of the body, and no harm follows. Hence the safety of cooling off 
slowly after exercise or being in a heated apartment, and the danger 
of cooling off rapidly, under the same circumstances, familiarly 
known by the expression "checking the perspiration." 

The result of closing the pores of the skin is various, according to 
the direction the shock takes, and this is always to the weakest part. 
In the little child it is to the throat, and there is croup or diphtheria ; 
to the adult it is to the head, giving catarrh in the head or running 
of the nose ; 'to the lungs, giving a bad cold, or, if very violent, caus- 
ing pneumonia or inflammation of the lungs themselves ; or pleurisy 
— inflammation of the covering of the lungs ; to the bowels causing 
profuse and sudden diarrhoea, or to the covering of the bowels, indu- 
cing that rapid and often fatal malady known as peritoneal inflamma- 
tion; if the current is determined to the liver, there is obstinate 
constipation, or bilious fever, or sick headache. Hence a "cold" is 
known by a cough, when the perspiration is driven inward, and is 
directed to the lungs; by pleurisy, when to the lining of the lungs; 
by a sick headache or bilious fever, when to the liver, &c. ; diarrhoea 
or constipation, when to the bowels and liver. 

To avoid bad colds, then, it is only necessary to avoid closing the 
pores of the skin, either rapidly, by checking perspiration, or slowly, 
by remaining still until the body is thoroughly chilled, that is, until 
the pores are nearly or entirely closed by inaction in a cold atmos- 
phere or room. In the matter of health, these suggestions are of 
incalculable importance. The more clothes a man wears, the more 
bed-covering he uses, the closer he keeps his chamber, whether 
warm or cold, the more he confines himself to the house, the more 
numerous and warm his night-garments, the more rapidly will he 
take cold, under all circumstances, as the more a thriftless youth is 
helped, the less able does he become to help himself. 



504 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

Many a cold, cough, and consumption, are excited into action by- 
pulling off the hat or overcoat as to men, and the bonnet and shawl 
as to women, immediately on entering the house in winter, after a 
walk. An interval of at least five or ten minutes should be allowed, 
for however warm or "close" the apartment may appear on first en- 
tering, it will seem much less so at the end of five minutes, if the 
outer garments remain as they were before entering. Any one who 
judiciously uses this observation, will find a multifold reward in the 
course of a lifetime. 

Note. — On rising in the morning, give the entire person a few min- 
utes' smart friction with a long-handled "flesh-brush." The effect 
is most exhilirating, and the skin soon acquires such tone and vigor 
that you will be quite safe from the danger of "catching cold." 

TO CURE A COLD QUICKLY. 

As soon as possible after taking cold, go to bed in a warm room, 
covering yourself with at least two extra blankets. Put twenty drops 
tincture of aconite into half a glass of water, and take a teaspoonful 
every half hour till a profuse perspiration is induced. 

If the aconite is not at hand, drink a bowl of hot ginger or sage 
tea. Eat no supper — not a mouthful — and on the following morning 
the chances are you will be quite well again. 

When a person takes a cold it will "settle" in the head, throat, 
chest, bowels, or joints, according to circumstances. If in the head, 
inducing an unpleasant "stuffing up" and an interruption of the 
sense of smell, an immediate and grateful relief is experienced some- 
times, by applying to the nose a bottle in which has been put a little 
cotton and a spoonful of spirits of hartshorn, and holding it there a 
moment ; then remove, and re-apply as before. This is repeated sev- 
eral times in the course of a few minutes — the nostrils are freed, and 
the sense of smell restored. 

ABOUT COUGHS. 

The lungs, in health, are always throwing out — manufacturing — 
a thin, mucilaginous-like liquid, near the color of the white of an egg, 
for the purpose of lubrication, so that they rise and fall at each 
breath with facility, without friction. This "mucus "is a part of the 
lungs, a part of their healthful product, and its presence causes no 
disturbance; but a common cold falling on the lungs, changes the 
color and consistence of this lubricating material, and it becomes 
yellow and thick; and this being unnatural, becomes at once a 
foreign body; nature grows uneasy, and sets up a cough to aid its 



VALUABLE MISCELLANEOUS INFOKMATION. 505 

ejection, as if it were a crumb of bread which had gone the wrong 
way. When a cough begins to dislodge this, it comes up in the 
shape of yellow matter; the cold is said to "break," and the person 
begins to get well. Whatever represses cough, as all cough drops, 
lozenges, and troches do, only keeps this yellow matter longer in the 
lungs — only protracts the cure — but if kept in too long, nature makes 
the attempt to get rid of it in another way, by re-absorbing the yel- 
low matter and throwing it into the general circulation again, — 
evidenced by a red spot on one or both cheeks, called "hectic," 
at the same time night-sweats come on, and this is consumption in 
its last stages ! 

All coughs are soonest cured by promoting and increasing them ; 
because nature endeavors by the cough to help bring up the phlegm 
and yellow matter which is in the lungs, as the lungs can not heal 
while that matter is there. And as it can not be got rid of without 
coughing, the more coughing there is, the sooner it is got rid of — 
the sooner 'the lungs cleared out for the fuller and freer reception of 
pure air, which is their natural food. The only remedies which can 
do any good in coughs are such as loosen the phlegm, and thus less 
cough is required to bring it up. Those remedies are, warmth, out- 
door exercise, and any thing which slightly nauseates. 

COD-LIVER OIL RENDERED TASTELESS. 

Fifteen drops of chloroform added to a table-spoonful of cod-liver 
oil renders it agreeable to take, without in the least impairing its good 
qualities or interfering with its therapeutical value. 

Another Method. — Sweeten vinegar with honey. Take a small 
sip, and then take the oil, the taste of which will be perfectly and 
pleasantly disguised. 

FELONS. NEW AND- PROMPT CURES. 

As soon as the disease is felt, put directly over the spot a fly blister, 
about the size of your thumb-nail, and let it remain for six hours, at 
the expiration of which time, directly under the surface of the blister 
may be seen the felon, which can be instantly taken out with the 
point of a needle. 

Another. — Take half a teaspoonful of soft soap, and stir in air- 
slaked lime until it is thick as putty. Make a leather thimble, fill it 
with the mixture, and wear. Speedy cure. 



506 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

OLD AGE: ITS CAKE AND ITS DISEASES. 

Threescore years and ten is now the general term of human exist- 
ence, whatever it might have been in the times of Biblical history. 
With women the fifty-third, and with men the sixtieth year, may 
generally be considered the age at which they respectively begin 
to exhibit signs of infirmity and decrepitude. Diseases incidental 
to this stage of life then come into play, and their effect upon the 
habit and constitution are soon manifest. Especially do such heredi- 
tary diseases as gout, gravel, rheumatism, apoplexy, and paralysis, 
arise, to make a wreck of the constitution ; and cancer, more partic- 
ularly in women, commits its ravages, eating into the springs and 
sources of life, and destro-^ing its victims with deadly certainty. 
Now it is that any excesses committed in the earlier periods of life, 
and habitual infringements of the laws of health, are found to have 
told upon the constitution, although this was not apparent in the full 
vigor of manhood. Now it is that we find impaired powers of re- 
spiration, and of secretion, and of digestion, rendering it necessary 
to be careful in the air we breathe, the exercise we take, and the food 
we eat. The latter should be light and nutritious, taken in small 
quantities, and at short intervals ; if meat, and the teeth are defective, 
it should be minced before cooking, or cut up small afterwards. 

There can be no doubt but that the more simply and naturally 
people live, the longer will be their stay in this world; and although 
contentment of mind, healthy occupation, and a salubrious residence 
are great essentials to longevity, the want of these advantages is 
greatly aggravated by intemperate living and a thoughtless disre- 
gard of the precautions necessary in every position in life. 

Poverty is a great disturber of repose, and painful indeed is it 
where embarrassments beset the "old man," but the very idea of it 
should cause us to be thrifty while young. There is no other remedy, 
if we can not help ourselves and have no friends to assist, than to 
bear up with all the philosophy we can muster. It is but for a short 
time, and the period to all must arrive when there is no distinction 
or precedence. 

MEALS. SLEEP. 

It is best for old people to take dinner early, and a light supper 
always, unless there is some peculiarity in the state of the health to 
render this unadvisable. Early to bed, but not early to rise, is the 
rule at this period of life ; the aged require much sleep, or, at all 



OLD AGE: ITS CARE AND ITS DISEASES. 507 

events, much rest, for with them deep sleep is commonly of short 
duration, and the recumbent position affords all the rest they need; 
retired as they commonly are from the busy occupations of life, they 
know not the weariness which results from active exertion, either of 
the physical or mental powers. Narcotics should never be taken to 
produce sleep, unless the wakefulness be occasioned by some painful 
disease. 

Exercise should be taken by old persons as long as their failing 
powers permit, but not be carried to the extent of great fatigue. 

Warmth is essential to their comfort and health; they should be 
wrapped ;n flannel, and kept in an equable temperature ; it has been 
noticed that on the setting-in of a frost, the number of old people 
who have died of apoplexy and paralysis has much increased. 

Cleanliness, although often neglected by the aged, or those who 
have the care of them, is very necessary to the preservation of life ; 
the body should be frequently sponged with tepid water, and after- 
wards rubbed with a rough towel ; the feet should be often washed, 
and the face and hands kept perfectly clean. 

Amusement is as necessary to the old as to the young, but it 
should be of a quiet, unexciting nature. 

If unable to read themselves, they should be read to, and talked 
to, and listened to, for one of the greatest pleasures of old age con- 
sists in old memories and associations. Aged persons live very 
much in a world of the past, and if sometimes tediously garrulous, 
it should be remembered that from them this world, with its excit- 
ing hopes and depressing cares, is rapidly passing away; and that 
in the circle of life, with them nearly completed, the beginning and 
the end approach each other, until they finally join, — birth and 
death forming the uniting points. 

MEDICAL TREATMENT FOR OLD AGE. 

Medicines for the old should be of a warm and somewhat stimulat- 
ing nature ; alkalines should be avoided, unless absolutely required 
for the counteraction of a tendency to acid in gout or gravel, and 
then their action should be carefully watched, as a long continuance 
of them may probably create a greater evil than that which they are 
intended to obviate. 

The blear eyes with which old persons are often affected, may be 
somewhat relieved by a collyrium of sulphate of zinc, about six grains 
in an ounce of distilled water, — the eyes to be damped occasionally 
with a piece of lint dipped in the liquid. 



508 OUK FAMILY DOCTOR. 

Aperients are often required by old people, but violent purgatives 
seldom ; these last should be avoided as much as possible ; also mer- 
curials, except in very small doses ; and neutral salts, which are of too 
cold and griping a nature. Compound infusion of senna, with a little 
tincture of ginger, gentian, or cardamums, added to impart warmth, 
and relieve the tendency to flatulency so common at this period of 
life, maybe safely given. About an ounce of the compound decoction 
of aloes is a good stomachic aperient ; but if there is a tendency to 
piles, half an ounce of castor-oil in a little gin and water, is good for 
those whose urinary organs require stimulating ; the action of these 
should be carefully watched, and medical advice obtained on the 
slightest symptom of derangement, as the want of proper attention 
in time frequently entails consequences which render the after years 
those of misery and discomfort. Voiding the urine with old people 
is a work of time and difficulty; it should always be performed 
when the inclination arises, and never in a hurried and imperfect 
manner. 

Five grains of the compound rhubarb pill, given at bedtime every 
night, or as often as required, is a good mild aperient for the aged, 
but it should be fresh and soft, as should all pills, or they will pro- 
bably pass through the bowels unchanged. Oatmeal gruel, with figs 
or baked apples, will, of themselves, often prove sufficiently relaxing ; 
if so, it is best to avoid aperient medicines altogether. For treat- 
ment of the diseases to which the aged are particularly liable, refe- 
rence must be made to their several heads. 

ON DEATH. 

Death, in its natural order, is not an evil. A state of endless life 
on earth, with our present organization, is as repugnant as the idea 
of total annihilation hereafter. A life perfect in all its stages is de- 
sirable, but few attain it. If men lived more true, useful, and happy 
lives, longevity would be far more general. 

Life is of value only as a means of improvement and happiness, — 
deprive it of these, and it is valueless. Those who live longest in 
reality are those who accomplish the most good. 

The process of death is the reverse of the process of development. 
The generative functions fail first, the animal next, and the organic 
becomes impotent last. In the act of death, the animal life — that 
system of passion, thought, and sensation — dies before the organic 
system. After the senses have lost their power to feel, and the 
brain has lost its consciousness, the chest expands, the heart beats, 



OLD AGE: ITS CARE AND ITS DISEASES. 509 

the muscles perform their motions, as usual. What are termed the 
agonies of death are only the unconscious and painless struggles of 
the organic system, — in the midst of which the soul is triumphant, 
serene, and happy; in its new-found freedom, it rejoices in a higher 
and brighter sphere of existence. 

Natural death, which is the gradual decay of the system in old age, 
is as painless as any other healthy and natural function. It is not 
a proper cause of regret to the individual nor to his survivors. The 
calm death, which follows at the close of a long and well-spent life, 
is the most beautiful thing in our whole existence. We may weep 
over the dying couch of infancy ; we may sorrow for those who are 
cut off in youth or manhood. This earthly life, to them, has been a 
failure. It has not answered its purpose. It has not been lived in 
its integrity. Even after a long life, we may regret that it has been 
less useful, or less happy, than it should be. Amid the discordances 
of our present social state, there are everywhere infinite causes for 
regret; but even now, death is welcome to the aged, — joyfully wel- 
come to all who know the uses of life, and have performed their 
alloted part, they can then — 

" Like ripe fruit drop 
Into our Mother's lap, or be with ease 
Gathered, not harshly plucked." 



510 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 



PART VII. 



GENEKAL OBSEKVATIONS BEGAKDING THE YOUTH OF 

BOTH SEXES, AND THE DUTY OF PAKENTS 

AND GUAEDIANS. 



When the famous Alexander Pope, of Twickenham, gave utterance 
to the celebrated aphorism, " The proper study of Mankind is Man," 
he was doubtless fully cognizant of the fact, that the laconism 
embraces everything appertaining to the sexes as such, as well as to 
the human family generally. To a mind so astute and analytical as 
his, it must have been obvious that most if not all of the defects, 
mental and physical, peculiar to any generation or people, were 
attributable solely to the imperfect training of its youth, or to the 
indulgence of such inharmonious and incompatible marriage relations 
as disfigure the annals of the present day, and as have marked so 
frequently those of past ages. 

As in the vegetable kingdom, the selection of proper seed and soil 
is indispensable to the production of a perfect plant, so in the animal 
is the enlightened and judicious blending of the sexes a sine qua non 
to the production of a being representing all the excellence of its 
species. This is an axiom the most unassailable ; and hence the vital 
necessity of accepting it in all its integrity, and of never transgressing 
it in any respect upon the exalted plane of human existence. 

The sentiment of love, in its highest and most divine acceptation, 
can obtain between the sexes only. Although far from antagonistic 
to that of friendship or affection, it differs widely from it; inasmuch 
as it has more important ends to attain, and can never exist between 
individuals of the same sex. Friendship or affection for one another 
may characterize the intercourse of men, or of women ; but love, in 



OBSERVATIONS REGARDING THE YOUTH OF BOTH SEXES. 511 

its truest sense, never This latter is the golden link which unites us 
at once to our opposites and to heaven, and that culminates in that 
holy and mysterious compact which results in the propagation of our 
species, and the accomplishment of our mission in this direction. 

While in pursuit of the study of this question, however, we must be 
careful not to confound or confuse the love under consideration with 
the mere animal passion that so often steals its guise to gratify the • 
cravings of lust, and that so constantly betrays the youth of both 
sexes into excesses that terminate, on one side, at least, in years of 
misery or shame. And here we would address ourselves more espe- 
cially to the inexperienced maiden whose guileless heart is too often 
open to the deceitful blandishments of some cruel suitor who has 
but one object to attain, or to the sincere and ardent professions of 
some thoughtless youth, who, without pausing to analyze the motives 
which actuate him or the stability of his intentions, accomplishes her 
ruin, and leaves her to learn, alas ! too late, that, save before the altar, 
no woman is justifiable in placing her character and happiness in the 
keeping of any man. In such instances, deceit and sincerity being 
alike at fault, the only safe course for the maiden who would escape 
the Scylla of the one or the Charybdis of the other, is to keep watch 
and ward on the battlements of her prudence and virtue, and, no 
matter how impassioned and sincere the pleadings of any individual 
upon whom she may have bestowed her affections, preserve both 
intact, as the only means of retaining his love and respect, should 
he be a true man, and of keeping herself unsullied in the eyes of 
society and of the world generally. 

Although delicate and difficult, the task of whispering some trutns 
into the ears of a young maiden arrived at the years of discretion, 
yet, so necessary to her well-being and happiness in every possible 
relation is it that she should be made thoroughly aware of the unto- 
ward influences which so constantly obtrude themselves into even 
the purest atmosphere, we venture, although with some hesitancy, to 
assume the serious undertaking. And here we may observe, in the 
first place, that the primary elements of all that makes life worth a 
single hour's purchase, are to be found in a thorough recognition of 
what we owe to the Creator, to ourselves, and to society; and the 
possession of a mind free from the taint which disfigures some of the 
literature of the day, and from those low desires and loose ideas, 
which, with scarce a single exception, result from its perusal. Noth- 
ing can be more dangerous to the youthful mind than even a passing 



512 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

glance at the works of any of those authors who appeal to the animal 
passions in a manner so insidious and ruinous, and who, before a 
young maiden is aware of it, destroy all her sense of delicacy, and 
often, alas! betray her into those dreadful excesses which, although 
kept the profoundest secret from every living soul save herself, inva- 
riably end in the total loss of innocent purity and the utter destruc- 
tion of all physical beauty. We need not be more explicit upon this 
subject, but may summon on the witness-stand in proof of what we 
here state, the sallow and lifeless features, the dim eyes, and despond- 
ing gait, which are significant to the astute medical man, and which 
are to be encountered so frequently in what is termed the very best 
society. Any violation of the laws of the Creator in this, as in every 
other connection, is sure to be visited upon the aggressor; and when 
we come to consider that the first offence in the particular relation 
now alluded to, leads quickly to another, and yet another, until trans- 
gressions crowd upon each other thick and fast, and seize upon the 
whole being, we shall be able to perceive at once how vital the ne- 
cessity for every young maiden to eschew with prayerful diligence 
the source of such terrible dangers, and to be in a position to feel 
within herself, at the period when she may be called upon to give 
her hand at the altar to some one worthy all the love and affection 
that could be bestowed upon him, that she enters the marriage state 
as pure in mind and body as the veriest child, and that in this rela- 
tion not a cloud or a regret can obscure the sunshine of her after 
years. 

In the observance of the course which is here suggested or implied, 
lies the corner-stone of all the bliss that attends upon the sacred com- 
pact into which two young souls enter for life. And here we would 
observe, that, in this direction, a serious and solemn duty devolves 
upon mothers, to instruct at the proper moment, their daughters, as 
to the dangers that beset them, both mentally and physically, at a 
certain age. In this relation there should be no false delicacy felt 
The truth must be told, and in .a manner the most unmistakable. 
A life of happiness or of misery hangs on the issue, and there should 
therefore be no mincing of the matter. The crime of self-abuse, if 
we must say it, is not confined to the sterner sex only. Some of 
the most fearful examples of it amongst females are to be met with 
terrible frequency, and of a character so hopeless as to embarrass all 
medical interference, and to seal the doom of those who had so fallen 
from their natural birthright and high estate. 



OBSERVATIONS REGARDING THE YOUTH OF BOTH SEXES. 513 

How indispensable, then, the proper education of young girls, and 
how necessary to surround them with a mental and moral atmos- 
phere the most pure and desirable. Let them begin aright, as 
children, and learn to think well and soberly as they advance in years, 
and there is nothing to be feared. Let their minds and dispositions 
be formed on the models of the virtuous fireside rather than upon 
those of the gaily decorated and frivolous saloon or drawing-room. 
Let them be taught to respect their own persons, as a sacred trust 
from heaven, and to feel that any violation of the laws appertaining 
to their physical being, in the sense under consideration, can not 
fail to be visited with the direst results. This knowledge the 
judicious mother can impart by degrees, and in her own way. She 
has at her command various modes and opportunities of approaching 
the subject successfully, which do not obtain in the case of any 
other individual whatever. Consequently, she is to a great extent 
accountable for the future happiness or misery of those who lie 
nearest her heart in this matter ; for it must be obvious, that she, 
above all, can influence their conduct and habits of thought before 
they arrive at that period of life when they are presumed to think 
and act for themselves. 

It is surprising how often children of unusually tender years are 
led by bad companionship to familiarize themselves with the abomi- 
nable practice which we need not again pause to particularize. It is 
within our own knowledge, that not long since, in this very city of 
New York, a young girl of great prominence, and most respectably 
connected, became a hopeless victim of this awful infatuation. And 
this was the more lamentable, as she promised to be as lovely as the 
day, and was possessed of a form and figure that were of exceptional 
beauty. At first her mother was unaware of the cause of her gradual 
transformation; but when made sensible of the truth, she found, 
perhaps too late, that to her own criminal neglect the disaster was 
to be mainly attributed; for, before her unfortunate child was 
eleven years of age, she had learned to make war upon her mind 
and body in a manner so effectual that it was pitiable to look upon 
her when she arrived at the age of thirteen. What has become of 
her since we are unable to say ; but this much we know, it will take 
a strong hand to rescue her from the most terrible of fates, or to 
restore her to any degree of health or strength. To the companion- 
ship of books and children of questionable morals this whole disaster 
may in reality be attributed, for the parents of this wretched being 



514 OUR FAMILY DOCTOE. 

were of themselves of morals the most irreproachable, but not wise 
and watchful in their day and generation. 

The necessity, then, of the strictest caution on the part of mothers 
in the selection of books or playmates for their children becomes 
obvious at a glance. The child is the marble from which the 
woman is sculptured; and if the youthful block is disfigured, frac- 
tured, or broken, where may we find the moral, mental, or physical 
chisel that shall obliterate or remove the damning defects? 

An eminent physician has justly observed on this head : — 

"We now approach a part of our subject which we would gladly 
omit, did not constant experience admonish us of our duty to speak 
of it in no uncertain tone. We refer to the disastrous consequences 
on soul and body to which young girls expose themselves, by 
exciting and indulging the morbid passions. Years ago Catherine 
E. Beecher sounded a note of warning to the mothers of America on 
this secret vice, which leads their daughters to the grave, the mad- 
house, or, worse yet, the brothel. 

" Gladly would we believe that her timely admonition had done 
away with the necessity for its repetition. But current medical 
literature, and our own observation, convince us that the habit of 
self-abuse has increased rather than diminished. Surgeons have 
recently been forced to devise painful operations to hinder young 
girls from ruining themselves, and we must confess that, in its worst 
form, it is absolutely incurable. 

" The results of the constant nervous excitement which this habit 
produces are bodily weakness, loss of memory, low spirits, distressing 
nervousness, a capricious appetite, dislike of company and of study, 
and, finally, paralysis, imbecility, or insanity. Let it not be supposed 
that there are many who suffer thus severely; but, on the other 
hand, let it be clearly understood that any indulgence whatever in 
these evil, courses is attended with bad effects, especially because 
they create impure desires and thoughts, which will prepare the girl 
to be a willing victim to the arts of profligacy. There is no more 
solemn duty resting on those who have the charge of young females 
than to protect them against this vice. 

"But, it is exclaimed, is it not dangerous to tell them any thing 
about it? Such a course is unnecessary. Teach them that any 
handling of the parts, any indecent language, any impure thought, 
is degrading and hurtful. See that the servants, nurses, and com- 



OBSERVATIONS REGARDING THE YOUTH OF BOTH SEXES. 515 

panions with whom they associate, are not debased ; and recommend 
scrupulous cleanliness. 

"If the habit is discovered, do not scold or whip the child. It is 
often a result of disease, and induced by a disagreeable itching. 
Sometimes this is connected with a disorder of the womb, and very 
frequently with worms in the bowels. Let the case be submitted to 
a judicious, skillful medical adviser, and the girl will yet be saved. 
But do not shut your eyes, and refuse to see this fact when it exists. 
Mothers are too often unwilling to entertain for a moment the 
thought that their daughters are addicted to such a vice, when it is 
only too plain to the physician." 

We have it on high authority that modesty is the chief quality in 
the adornment of woman ; and in no case is it more grateful and be- 
coming than on that of a young maiden who has arrived at that im- 
portant and interesting period, when she may be wooed and won and 
made a wife. What the age of puberty is, has been made a careful 
study by medical men. In the temperate zone, fourteen years and six 
months is the average period of its first appearance in healthy girls. 
If it occurs six months earlier or later, then there is probably some- 
thing wrong. There is sometimes a wider deviation from the age 
stated here than this, and without any serious meaning ; but at no 
time is such a deviation to be neglected. In avast majority of cases 
it is owing to some defect in constitution, health, or formation, and 
should be seen to and corrected at once, otherwise years of hopeless 
misery may be the result. "Mothers, teachers," observes the author 
just quoted, "it is with you this responsibility rests. The thousands 
of miserable wives who owe their wretchedness to the absence of 
proper attention at the turning point of their lives, warn you how 
serious is the responsibility." 

The foundation of old age, observes a celebrated author, is laid in 
childhood, but the health of middle life depends upon puberty. This 
maxim is invaluable. The two years which change the girl into the 
woman, frequently seal forever her happiness or misery in this life. 
They decide whether she is to become a healthy, cheerful wife and 
mother, or the reverse, — to whom "marriage is a curse, children an 
affliction, and life a burden." Both sexes mature more early in hot 
climates than in temperate or cold ones. Within the tropics, mar- 
riages are usual at twelve or fourteen years of age. Such precocity, 
however, is the precursor of early decay ; for a short childhood por- 
tends a premature old age, and vice versa. 



516 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

It is not a favorable symptom to experience any indication of pu- 
berty before the'' usual average time, as it betokens a weakly and 
excitable frame. Let us therefore enumerate the principal causes 
which incline to hasten it unduly. Idleness of body, highly-seasoned 
food, stimulants, such as beer, wine, liquors, and in some degree, cof- 
fee, tea, and irregular habits of sleep. The mental causes are, however, 
still more potent in tending to premature development. What stimu- 
lates the emotions, leads to unnaturally early sexual life. Late hours, 
children's parties, sensational novels, questionable pictorial illustra- 
tions, love stories, the drama, the ball-room, talks of love and mar- 
riage, &c, all hasten the event which transforms the girl into the 
woman. This becomes obvious when we compare the average of 
puberty in large cities and country districts, it being clearly ascer- 
tained that the females in the former mature from six to eight months 
sooner than those in the latter ; and the result may be seen more 
plainly in the well-preserved farm-wife of thirty when compared with 
the languid and faded city lady of the same age. 

During the two short years, then, that transform "the awkward and 
angular girl of fourteen" into the graceful maiden of " sweet sixteen," 
the utmost caution is to be observed in every relation, moral and 
physical. The magic wand of the fairy is at work, and a new creature, 
as it were, is being released from her chrysalis state, with sentiments 
and responsibilities that must be kept well in hand. The transfor- 
mation goes on until at last the system acquires the requisite strength, 
and furnishes itself with reserved forces, when the monthly periods 
commence. 

A writer of great judgment and experience on this subject, asserts 
that one of the most frequent causes of disease about the age of pu- 
berty is starvation. He avers that many a girl is starved to death, 
from the fact of food of an improper quality being given to her, or 
from the circumstance of sustenance being administered to her in 
insufficient quantities, or at improper hours. Hence, from the want 
of proper nourishment, the system becomes enfeebled and subject to 
attacks of disease, and especially to those of consumption. The food 
at such periods should be abundant, varied, and simply prepared. 
Good fresh milk should be used daily, while tea and coffee should be 
thrown aside totally. Fat meats and vegetable oils, so generally 
disliked by girls at this age, are exactly what they require at this 
juncture of their lives. 

All kinds of exercise proper to a young lady, and especially those 



OBSEKVATIONS KEGAKDING THE YOUTH OF BOTH SEXES. 517 

which lead into the pure open air and sunshine, are also beneficial 
at this momentous crisis ; and a particular kind is to be recommended 
for those whose chests are narrow, whose shoulders stoop, and who 
have a hereditary predisposition to consumption. If it is systemati- 
cally practised along with other means of health, we would guarantee 
any child, no matter how many relatives have died of this disease, 
against invasion. It is voluntary inspiration. Nothing is more 
simple. Let her stand erect, throw the shoulders well back, and the 
hands behind ; then let her slowly inhale pure air to the full capacity 
of the lungs, and retain it a few seconds by an increased effort; 
then it may be slowly exhaled. After one or two natural inspirations, 
let her repeat the act, and so on for ten or fifteen minutes, twice 
daily. Not only is this simple procedure a safeguard against con- 
sumption, but, in the opinion of some learned physicians, it can even 
cure it when it has already commenced. 

At first the monthly loss of blood exhausts the system. There- 
fore, plenty of food, plenty of rest, plenty of sleep, are required. 
That ancient prejudice in favor of early rising should be discarded 
now, and the girl should retire early, and, if she will, sleep late. 
Hard study, care, or anxiety, should be spared her. This is not the 
time for rigid discipline. 

Clothing is a matter of importance, and, if we were at all sure of 
attention, there is much we would say about it. The thought 
seriously troubles us, that, so long as American women consent to 
deform themselves, and sacrifice their health to false ideas of beauty, 
it is almost hopeless to urge their fitness for, and their right to, a 
higher life than they now enjoy. 

With thoroughly healthy girls, what is usually termed the monthly 
period, continues to recur at regular intervals, from twenty-five to 
thirty days apart. This is true of something like three out of every 
four. In others, a long interval, occasionally six months, occurs 
between the first and second sickness. This latter, if the general 
health is perfect, need excite no apprehension; but under the 
slightest mental or physical derangement the case must at once 
receive intelligent treatment. Perfectly healthy young women, have, 
on the other hand, been known to have been unwell every sixteen 
days, while others again experienced this change every thirty-five 
or thirty-six days only. This appears not easy of explanation, and 
may, perhaps, be attributed to some inherited peculiarity of consti- 
tution. In this relation, climate seems to play a prominent part ; 



518 OUR FAMILY DOCTOE. 

as travellers tell us, that in Lapland this phase of woman's physical 
life occurs but three or four times a year. 

"'At this critical period," observes an able physician, "the seeds of 
hereditary and constitutional diseases manifest themselves. They 
draw fresh malignancy from the new activity of the system. The first 
symptoms of tubercular consumption, of scrofula, of obstinate and 
disfiguring skin diseases, of hereditary insanity, of congenital eplipesy, 
of a hundred terrible maladies, which from birth have lurked in the 
child, biding the opportunity of attack, suddenly spring from their 
lairs, and hurry her to the grave or madhouse. If we ask why so 
many fair girls of eighteen or twenty are followed by weeping friends 
to an early tomb, the answer is, chiefly from diseases which have their 
origin at the period of puberty. It is impossible for us to rehearse 
here all the minute symptoms, each almost trifling in itself, which 
warn the practised physician of the approach of one of these fearful 
foes in time to allow him to make a defence. "We can do little more 
than iterate the warning, that, whenever at this momentous epoch 
any disquieting change appears, be it physical or mental, let not a 
day be lost in summoning skilled^ competent medical advice." 

From what has been now said it is impossible for any mother of 
ordinary good understanding to mistake for a moment the shoals 
and quicksands, both moral and physical, that surround her daugh- 
ters, whether as mere girls or grown-up maidens. A careful super- 
vision of the company they keep and the books they read — their 
determined exclusion from the society of either men or women of lax 
conversation or morals, and the careful inculcation of self-respect, 
which can alone be based upon proper pride and purity, will go far 
to obviate the dangers that beset their path, and so ground them, 
ultimately, in the principles of virtue and a correct demeanor, as to 
put evil thoughts to flight on their first approach. 

While a handsome person and excellent acquirements are always 
desirable on the part of any individual who pays his addresses to a 
young maiden, yet there are other and more important considerations 
which ought to overshadow mere physical beauty or mental attain- 
ments; and these are a high sense of honor, and a thorough and 
practical conception of the duty we owe to God and man. These 
latter constitute the imperishable part of our nature when properly 
moulded, and are the staff upon which we can lean with confidence 
when our mere physical being loses all its brightness, and totters 
to its fall. Hence the necessity of warning the young and untutored 



OBSEKVATIONS BEGAKDING THE YOUTH OF BOTH SEXES. 519 

heart against mere outward appearance, and directing it towards a 
recognition of those attributes and features on the part of the sterner 
sex, upon which a life of true happiness can alone be founded. 

This is a matter of such paramount importance that we feel the 
necessity of impressing it, to the utmost of our ability, upon those 
who have arrived at the years of understanding, and whose hearts 
may yet be free or partially so ; and who may be induced to pause 
ere they commit their happiness for life to the hands of those who 
may not only be unworthy of a woman's love, but who seek to obtain 
it under the false pretences of a comely exterior or the adventitious 
matter of dress, while every fibre of their nature may be selfish beyond 
measure, and set only upon the momentary gratification of a passion 
that when once satisfied turns aside from the hapless and unsuspect- 
ing object that has inspired it, and leaves her to mourn in the silence 
of her lonely chamber, the fate she might have avoided, but that is 
now beyond repair. 

How warm soever her feelings and sentiments, every step taken 
in the paths of courtship by a marriageable maiden should be well 
observed and guarded. In her conversation or conduct there should 
be nothing of thoughtless levity, or anything that could warrant a 
familiarity on the part of her suitor which might not be taken in the 
presence of some dear friend or relative. To observe a proper and 
well-considered course in this relation, is to secure the increasing 
admiration of the being upon whom she has bestowed her affections, 
if he be worthy her love. And here we may observe that this is no 
mere speculation, but a fact as firmly established as any in human 
experience. For although the tide of passion may run high in an 
unguarded moment, and set in against heaven and society, yet the 
terrible and painful ebb follows as surely as effect follows cause, and 
leaves at least one of the thoughtless culprits stranded forever on 
the bleak and barren shore of her earthly existence. 

There is, therefore, nothing so desirable as firmness and caution 
on the part of a young maiden in her intercourse with her accepted 
lover ; and both can be observed without wounding his susceptibility, 
or impressing him with the idea of either prudery or coldness on her 
part. Her sentiments in this relation can be conveyed through a 
thousand different channels, and with such force and effect as to 
impress and influence to the proper extent any individual possessed 
of correct feelings, or of the mental and moral requisites to make a 
wife happy. 



520 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

Let ns glance for a moment at the fate of the many beautiful and 
warm-hearted maidens whose happiness has been wrecked, even in 
this city, through the fiendish machinations of perfidious suitors. 
Scarce a house of ill-fame in our midst but has one or more inmates 
of this character — poor, thoughtless, and confiding creatures, that 
would sooner had thought an angel of light capable of deceit than 
those who had betrayed and ruined them. But they would not be 
warned, or had not been advised until the die was cast ; and hence, 
without a hope, their wretched downward career began apace, until 
at last, with their ears familiarized to the ribald song and jest, they 
sought refuge from the upbraidings of conscience in the intoxicating 
cup, which so completed and rendered hedious the work of debauch 
that their persons, once beautiful perhaps to intensity, became a 
loathsome mass, that provoked both horror and disgust in even the 
coarsest nature. 

And some of those unfortunates had been raised in the lap of 
luxury, while others had been the idols of respectable and loving 
households ; but the education of both classes had been neglected, 
as neither had been brought up by strictly moral parents, who had 
attended upon their footsteps with pious care while they were yet 
children, and who, as they approached the period of maidenhood, 
had not excluded every moral taint from the atmosphere they 
breathed, or taught them true allegiance to the divine laws and 
those which sustain our great social fabric. Had their guardians 
inculcated those moral perceptions and principles, without which a 
woman is the darkest stain on humanity, all would have been well ; 
and perhaps the false suitor, regenerated, or rather transformed, 
through the persuasive influence of such goodness and piety, might 
have been induced to turn from the evil of his ways and have led 
to the altar a happy and beloved bride, the very being who had 
opened up the approaches to her total ruin by overstepping the 
boundaries of prudence or those of modesty, without pausing to 
consider that a step once taken in this latter direction is never re- 
covered. 

Although the mental and physical tendencies of mere girls may 
vary in no small degree, we are of the firm belief, that, under even 
the most unfavorable circumstances, both may, through judicious and 
proper treatment, be brought to harmonize with the great objects of 
creation. In view of the accomplishment of this vast desideratum, 
then, the early inculcation of proper religious principles, and the 



OBSERVATIONS REGARDING THE YOUTH OF BOTH SEXES. 521 

ensample of healthy conversation and moral excellence in the family 
circle, are of paramount importance. And this is quite compatible 
with the freedom necessary to the happiness and well-being of even 
the lightest heart and most joyous disposition. There is not an 
innocent amusement or pleasure incident to the life of a young girl, 
that may not be heightened and sanctified, in a measure, through 
the adroit and loving guidance of a mother of sound observation 
and an ordinarily well- trained mind. Cruel and unjust as it may be, 
and is, in many cases, the axiom is a safe one, that the animal pas- 
sions of men lead them into the blindest excesses, and that in the 
attempt to gratify them, they too frequently lose all sight of the 
consequences, and pause only to count the cost when a keen sense 
of the frailty of their victim prevents them from making the only 
possible adequate atonement in relation to one already so fallen 
in their eyes. This is the true state of the case, and the results 
already glanced at, are, as we have seen, the most lamentable. 
Mothers and guardians should therefore bestir themselves, if they 
would do a noble and abiding work in this connection ; and never 
relax their vigilance until those under their charge have attained 
the age of maturity and understanding, in the fullest sense. Here 
the parent plays a most important part, and must, if she would see 
her daughter a happy wife and mother, train her in all the paths of 
virtue and correct thought. The surveillance may be gentle and 
loving, but it must, at the same time, be constant and inflexible. 
Every rock and shoal must be pointed out, and dwelt upon with 
force and clearness, and the guiding lights of self-respect, purity of 
speech, and careful demeanor, held constantly aloft and in full view. 
No other course can possibly succeed, or add, in such cases as now 
command our attention, to the sum of human happiness. Conse- 
quently both mother and daughter should understand each other 
upon an issue so vital ; the younger and more inexperienced looking, 
with full confidence, for counsel and advice to her truest friend and 
rightful preceptor, and forming no acquaintance or friendship, with 
a view to matrimony, without her sanction and approval. 

In this relation the quick wit and keen eye of the sober and thought- 
ful matron will be seldom at fault. She will be able to determine 
with something like unerring accuracy, and speedily, the character 
of the suitor who may seek to win the affections of her child, and 
who must not be judged on mere external appearance, or be taken 
at his own estimate. Here an honest heart, industrious habits, and 



522 OUR FAMILY DOCTOE. 

a good record, are of the last importance, and more desirable than 
gold itself. In saying so much on this head, however, it is not to 
be supposed that mere worldly wealth is to be disregarded, as an 
element in any compact between two hearts that would become one, 
and spend together a life of usefulness and independence. On the 
contrary, we hold it indispensable, that no young maiden of sound 
judgment permit her affections or the solicitations of her lover to 
betray her into the cares and responsibilities of -matrimony without 
the possession or prospect of sufficient means to render her home 
comfortable, and remove her beyond the probability of want. In 
this, both caution and prudence should be observed ; for to step into 
poverty and its consequent domestic embarrassments, is often to step 
out of love ; and then, alas ! for the future of both parties. 

The vital necessity, then, of worthy male companionship, in the 
first instance, for any young girl whatever, must be obvious to even 
the most commonplace intelligence. If those who surround her are 
pure and good, and the uncompromising enemies of the free-love 
taint and principles which are now so rife in certain quarters, her 
selection of a proper companion for life will be the less difficult, as 
fewer chances present themselves for bestowing her affections un- 
worthly. She can take no more important step between the cradle 
and the grave than that which leads her to the altar. It should 
therefore be well considered and guarded, as once it is taken the die 
is cast forever. 

Let us then hope that all those most deeply concerned will ponder 
well the facts we have laid before them on this all-important sub- 
ject, and let no mother relax for a single moment the vigilance that 
should wall out from her daughters the dangerous books and com- 
panionship to which we have made such distinct reference. In addi- 
tion, let every young maiden who is approaching the interesting and 
critical period already named, look well to her footsteps, and beware 
of allowing her affections to be captured by a pleasing exterior only 
on the part of one of the opposite sex. However agreeable an attrac- 
tive face and form, these do not comprise all that is necessary to 
the most abiding and exalted manhood, and are not unfrequently a 
delusion and a snare. There is no absolute manliness without manly 
principles; and no true happiness without moral rectitude and a 
proper sense of our duty towards heaven. These are the attributes 
and sentiments that tend to make earth a paradise, and that survive 
all mere physical excellence, inasmuch as they belong to our immor- 



OBSERVATIONS REGARDING THE YOUTH OF BOTH SEXES. 523 

tal part. Let them therefore be sought after assiduously by both 
mother and daughter in the person of any suitor for the hand of the 
latter; and let there be no uncertain sound in the premises. Let 
those desirable features be so prominent in the acts and the de- 
meanor of the man as to be obvious at a glance, and let them not 
be simulated on certain occasions. True virtue and uprightness of 
thought and conduct soon manifest themselves in those possessed 
of such inestimable treasures; and whenever or wherever we see 
their absence verified either by word or act, we may rest assured 
that the transgressor is unworthy the love of any woman who values 
her own happiness, or who hopes to make the marriage state, under 
heaven, all that it ought to be, both morally and physically. 

For the Especial Perusal of Youths of Understanding, as well 
• as for that of Fathers and Guardians. 

If man is "the noblest work of God," most assuredly every word, 
thought, and act of his, ought to tend towards the elevation of his 
mental and physical being ; because this implied perfection is to be 
regarded in a measure as the result of his aquiescence in all the 
laws, moral and otherwise, appertaining to his nature. That is, if he 
would assume and maintain the high position accorded to him, he 
must not violate any of those divine precepts or rules laid down for 
his guidance ; but from the first moment of his responsibility to the 
last of his earthly existence,"walk in the way of godliness, virtue, 
and truth, and never transgress any of the provisions relative to the 
true development and important mission of his animal structure. 

The licence accorded to boys when compared with that allowed to 
girls of the same age, ought to engender in them a chivalrous 
respect for the gentler sex, and never urge them into anything 
savoring of egotism or tyranny. The apparent superiority is but 
simply the result of greater physical strength, and the freedom with 
which the one sex is permitted to move through the world compared 
with that accorded to the other. There is in reality no mental 
superiority in the one over the other ; for in this respect it has been 
shown that the impress of man has been left mentally on the age 
more than that of woman ; because, from some ill-judged laws or 
rules of society, she has been subject to restrictions which circum- 
scribes to an unwarrantable extent her sphere of action. 

But while laying it down as an axiom that there is perfect mental 
equality between the sexes, we can not refuse to entertain the idea 



524: OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

that woman is the weaker vessel physically, and that her dependence 
upon man, and her claims to his love and protection, arise to some 
extent from this cause, although the sublime mystery of her being 
appeals to him in a higher and more abiding sense. This taken for 
granted, then, and perceiving, as even the most unphilosophical can, 
that both sexes were designed to harmonize with each other in every 
possible relation, and that the weaker and more beautiful is obviously 
entitled to greater consideration than the more robust, it behooves 
the latter to look well to their manhood and the perfection of his 
mental and physical status, for a defect in either is not only destruc- 
tive of anything like love in the female bosom, but of a character 
which, with but few exceptions, builds up an insurmountable bar- 
rier between the man and the woman towards whom he may be 
attracted. 

"We say mental and physical status here, because the body is sel-* 
dom injured through excesses of any description, without the mind 
suffering commensurately. And as the foundation of a healthy 
physical existence are laid in childhood, we would observe that 
this fact, in relation to boys, as we are now treating on them more 
especially, should be recognized to the fullest extent by fathers and 
guardians, as upon their judgment, affection, and fidelity, the char- 
acter of the rising male generation must mainly depend. 

Although, as already observed, a greater latitude is allowed to 
boys than to girls, in almost every relation, yet this latitude must be 
circumscribed and confined to certain well-defined, healthy bounds. 
And here we would again dwell upon the vital necessity of good com- 
panionship and good books, where example and precept harmonize 
with the exalted ends to be attained in after years. Of course, the 
family circle is to be regarded as the true starting point, whence 
the earliest lessons in vice or virtue are derived, and should this 
prove to be lax in any of its teachings, moral or religious, the very 
germs of success are embarrassed or destroyed at once. 

It is astonishing how quickly young lads, not much more than 
half way to their teens, acquire bad habits and principles from impure 
associates, or the unguarded conversations which sometimes occur at 
their own fireside. From both these sources the worst consequences 
are to be apprehended, as they gradually undermine every principle 
of good, and so familiarize the tender ear and. understanding with 
what is most pernicious, because of the almost indelible and fatal 
impress that is left upon the unreasoning susceptibilities. Whatever 



OBSERVATIONS REGARDING THE YOUTH OF BOTH SEXES. 525 

may be said to the contrary, there are unmistakable traces of the 
early hearthstone to be found in the lives of most men; and 
such being the case, how indispensable it is that the atmosphere 
that surrounds it should be free from taint, and that the greatest 
caution should be observed that nothing transpires within its sacred 
limits that might have the slightest tendency to mar the man in the 
child, or thwart the beneficent designs of nature regarding him. 

In view, then, of the influences of the family circle, and that of the 
father upon the son, while yet a mere youth or child, that circle 
should be made as attractive as possible, and on a plane thoroughly 
comprehensible to the intelligence to which it appeals. If parents 
would shape their children to the noblest ends, they must gain their 
confidence and affection by becoming children themselves in a meas- 
ure. They can not preach or teach to any purpose from a reserved 
or exalted pedestal, or through the instrumentality of the sober long- 
faced truths which are applicable to grave years only. The atmos- 
phere of youth is, in the natural order of things, bright and happy ; 
and if we would influence, by precept or example, those still sur 
rounded by it, we must assume to breathe it ourselves for the time 
being, and sow our earliest good seeds in its tender light. Once the 
kind and judicious father has won the heart and confidence of his 
little son, the road to the fullest success lies wide open ; and feet that 
under other circumstances would assuredly have turned aside under 
less benign influence from the paths of rectitude and truth, are now 
easily directed into that glorious upward and onward course which 
never fails to culminate in happiness here and hereafter. 

Some of the most terrible evils that beset the path of so many of 
the young of the sterner sex, result from association with children 
of their age who have learned to debauch their own persons, and to 
indulge in those secret habits which have been long noted as fraught 
with disaster and death. So early the period at which unsusjoecting 
little ones are led into this terrible snare by their seniors of two or 
three years, that few will be inclined to believe that this first essay 
in crime has been attempted at the age of eight, and continued until 
an actual drain on the young energies and vital forces of the %stem 
commenced. It is, therefore, obvious that the lynx eye of the father 
or guardian, or of both parents, should at this tender joeriod of youth 
be brought constantly to bear upon all the acts and tendencies of 
their young ward or progeny, and that they should seek to incul- 
cate those pure ideas and aspirations which are the only security 



526 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

against this danger. Let the playmates, the toys, and the rudimen- 
tary books of the child be carefully selected, and let there be for him 
an abiding attraction about his own door and fireside, so that he may 
not be necessitated to look abroad for any of those innocent pas- 
times or recreations that have such charms for the young. The great 
error of many parents, in this direction, lies in the dry and solemn 
homilies which they conceive ought to be forever mumbled into the 
ears of their children, or the long religious services to which they 
regard their subjection as wise and indispensable. This is a fatal 
mistake. The medium through which the young are to be taught 
successfully their dependence upon heaven and their duty towards 
God and man, should rather consist of the green fields, fruits, and 
flowers, — of sunlit skies, running brooks, and balmy winds, — the song 
of birds, the changing seasons, and the summer woods. These and 
the beneficent design of the Creator in calling them into existence 
for the benefit of man in a pre-eminent degree, should form the ear- 
liest pages presented for the study of the child; and if each of the 
beauties and truths they contain be carefully explained upon the 
basis of that higher information which may be sought through the 
"revealed word" as the young student advances in years, the result 
will be the most happy, and culminate in all the perfection possible 
of attainment in this earthly sphere. 

But while inculcating these salutary lessons, there must be no 
false delicacy on the part of the father, relative to pointing out, in 
the clearest possible manner, the dangers with which his inexperi- 
enced and susceptible child is assuredly surrounded. The parent 
is but ill versed in his duty, or the prevalence of the crime of self- 
abuse in the young, who fancies that by keeping his youthful off- 
spring in ignorance, so far as he knows, of the character and man- 
ner of this frightful offence, that the child must necessarily escape its 
taint. Let there be no misconception on this head; for it may be 
accepted as a leading fact, that nineteen boys out of every twenty 
learn something of it at a very tender age ; and from sources, too, 
but badly qualified to warn them of its terrible results. And be it 
furthR* remembered, that no matter how innocent and unconscious 
of guilt the first attempt at its commission on the part of a poor 
unsuspecting young creature, there is something almost fatal in 
tampering with even the undeveloped organs of generation, or in 
endeavoring to excite them to undue or premature action. This 
fact must be dwelt upon in the plainest possible manner, and so 



OBSERVATIONS REGARDING THE YOUTH OF BOTH SEXES. 527 

impressed upon the youthful mind as to satisfy it that a single move 
made in this direction tends to speedy destruction and death to 
both body and soul. So soon, then, as the child is capable, in any 
degree, of comprehending advice and instruction, this subject must 
be broached in the best and most impressive manner known to the 
judicious father who would acquit himself fully in the sight of God 
and man ; for to leave the matter to mere chance, in the hope that 
escape was possible through a fortuitous combination of circum- 
stances, would be to be guilty of a crime the most henious, and 
scarcely second to that of murder. 

To the youth of understanding, however, we may address ourselves 
more directly ; assuming that he may not be altogether free from 
the taint of this sin. In the first place, then, let us lay it down as 
an inexorable fact, that so terrific and contaminating this practice 
in any degree, that it not only tends to destroy every particle of 
physical beauty and manhood, but, if persisted in, results in absolute 
idiocy, or a premature and most horrible death. This is no over- 
drawn picture, but may be taken as an absolute fact, in connection 
with the quite as inexorable truth, that the youth addicted to this 
prevailing vice is as certain to render himself incapable of propagat- 
ing his species or consummating the holy sacrament of matrimony, as 
that the sun is in the heavens at midday. In the unnatural excite- 
ment which saps his whole being, he may fancy, at the time of self- 
abuse, that this is not so : but should the crisis ever arrive when a 
loving and confiding wife is betrayed into his arms, then comes that 
terrible humiliation which is worse than death. There is no escape 
from the consequences of this monstrous offence should it be indulged 
in to a certain point ; for then it siezes upon the whole being, and 
like the infatuation of the arsenic eaters, whether continued or 
abandoned, ends alike in the most appalling mental and physical 
suicide. 

What youth, then, of the slightest manly feeling, or intelligence, 
would so make war upon his physical being > as to render him 
disgusting to the pure and good of the opposite sex, and even to 
those who had fallen from virtue, and taken refuge in the lowest 
brothel? Can it be possible that any individual who sets the slightest 
store by the love of a beautiful woman, or the possession of every 
manly attribute and sentiment, will, after the perusal of these start- 
ling and inexorable facts, approach the edge of this shuddering 
abyss, or, if partially engulfed in it, will not struggle to extricate 



528 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

himself at once. There may yet be time to retrace his steps, and 
escape the awful depths that yawn beneath him; while the com- 
mission of a single offence more may hurl him irrevocably to his 
dreadful doom. Oh ! could we but depict in adequate language the 
fearful and hideous wrecks that have resulted from this crying 
sin against nature, each particular hair of the youthful aggressor 
would stand on end, like the quills on "the fretful porcupine." But 
so thickly strewn around us, under a. thousand loathsome froms, are 
the evidence of this most damning crime, that those who run may 
read, if they only will. 

And now that we have dwelt at some length on this part of our 
topic, let us turn for a moment to those youths who have sufficient 
virtue, manliness, and strength, to eschew this great evil, and say to 
them, that although they have escaped it, their path is still beset 
with other snares which lead to discomfort and misery in a lesser 
degree only. If not prostrated at this disgusting shrine, we have 
known the manhood of many to fall a victim to unholy and misguided 
passion, and who, by giving full rein to their unbridled lust, or falling 
into the snare of some casual circumstance, have brought woe to true 
and unsuspecting hearts that loved "not wisely but too well." And 
here we would observe, that when a respect and highest consideration 
for the opposite sex, is not entertained by a man, whatever his con- 
dition, he is unworthy the recognition of society or the favor of heaven 
There is something of infinite treachery and cowardice on the part 
of a suitor, sincere or pretended, who steals into the affections of a 
young maiden, with a view to betraying her, or who having once 
gained them on an honorable basis, takes, in an unguarded moment, 
advantage of the love she bears him, to humiliate her in her own 
eyes, if not to accomplish her ruin beyond redemption. No true and 
chivalrous man or youth who respects the person or the memory of 
the mother who bore him, has ever been guilty of doing such dis- 
tardly violence to the sex, or of treading ruthlessly beneath his feet 
what God has made so confiding and beautiful, and what is in every 
relation the counterpart of his own sister. There is something here 
which demands attention, and which should be subjected to the 
strictest analysis and scrutiny. To the professional profligate, who 
knows no law, human or divine, we do not address ourselves. We 
leave him in the hands of the Living God, who is sure to call him to 
account when he least expects it. To such, however, as are not viti- 
ated in this relation, and whose inexperience is beset with warm pas- 



OBSERVATIONS REGARDING THE YOUTH OF BOTH SEXES. 529 

sions and susceptibilities, we would give a few words of caution and 
advice; hoping to enlist their sympathies and attention regarding a 
matter which affects so vitally their interest and happiness, not only 
in this world but in the world to come. 

To be succinct, then, when a youth finds himself approaching the 
threshold of manhood, or that period of life which succeeds his 
mere boyish days, he in most cases enters upon a new and charming- 
phase of his existence, which is expressed mainly in a desire for 
female society, and generally for that of one being beyond all others, 
who in his admiring eyes appears to be the best and most beautiful of 
her sex. Now this is nothing more nor less than the first dawning of 
love, and before we would have its partial victim commit himself 
irrevocably to the overpowering passion in any individual case, we 
would implore him to pause on the verge of the charmed circle, and 
ere he become hopelessly entangled in its delicious mazes, seek 
advice from his natural guardians, and analyze for himself all the 
circumstances surrounding the being who has awakened such strange 
sensations in his bosom, and the possible result of attempting to 
unite his destiny to hers forever. 

♦To this end, he must endeavor to look upon things as they really 
exist, and not permit his enthusiasm or admiration to present them 
in any romantic or fanciful light. As a primary step in this direction, 
he must- measure his own pecuniary circumstances and prospects, 
and see how far justified he might be in endeavoring to win the 
affections of any young maiden with a view to making her his wife. 
We are, of course, aware that but few inexperienced youths pause 
thus practically upon the threshold of new hopes and aspirations ; 
but then this does not nullify the wisdom and necessity of doing so. 
No honorable or prudent person will commit himself to a step so 
serious as that of marriage, without seeing, to some extent, the road 
before him ; nor will he tamper with the love or affections of any 
woman whatever, whom he considers unworthy to become his part- 
ner for life. In the fullest manliness on this point there is a chivalry 
the most noble and exalted. Everything like deceit must be dis- 
carded totally, and if it is found that the over-sanguine fair one 
has misinterpreted any word or act of kindness on the jDart of 
him who may regard her as a friend only, she must be undeceived, 
and at once. The safest rule to follow in this relation is for the 
young man to be cautious, and never inspire any hopes or confidences 
in any of the opposite sex, that he does not wish to exist. There 



530 OUE FAMILY DOCTOR. 

are a thousand channels through which the pleasantest intercourse 
may flow securely, without entering upon this vital one ; and these 
are familiar to every person of ordinary good understanding. Where 
there is no intention of awaking in the female bosom a sentiment of 
love, there should be neither act nor word calculated to provoke it ; 
and if, as is often the case, one of the softer sex,' overstepping the 
bounds of prudence if not of modesty, makes advances on her part, 
then the only honorable and correct course of the object of her 
affections, is to withdraw himself totally from her society. 

After becoming satisfisd that he is in a position to support a wife, 
and being free in person from such physical blemishes as have been 
already alluded to, the first care of the expectant bachelor should 
be to select from among his acquaintances a maiden of comely 
looks, industrious habits, and sound and pure morals. These are 
essentials the most important, and must underlie all the accomplish- 
ments which render a woman fascinating, if she is ever to become the 
light of her own household. There can, of course, be no objection 
to the possession of those ornamental acquirements which render a 
drawing-room so attractive at times, such as music, bright conver- 
sational powers, and all the agreeable phases of a polite education ; 
but these, desirable as they undoubtedly are, must not be accepted 
as the true constituents of happiness; but rather as the agreeable 
guise that the more serious and abiding attributes assume, until the 
moment for their more active agency presents itself again. No man 
of moderate means has ever dined off a piano solo, or supped off a dish 
of fashionable gossip; and hence the necessity of looking for 
something more substantial in the person to whom he might be 
induced to pay his addresses, with a view to matrimony, and of 
eschewing every female, no matter what her attractions, who has not 
within herself the knowledge and elements that constitute a good 
housewife. The freaks of fortune are often both sad and surprising ; 
and hence it is of vital importance that parents educate their children 
in some trade or calling that might stand their friend in the hour of 
adversity, when they might find themselves deprived of the last 
shilling. And here we may refer, briefly, to the helpless condition 
of some of the fashionable youths who are depending solely upon 
circumstances for a life of ease and pleasure to which they devote 
themselves, and who, through a single turn of the wheel of fortune, 
might be reduced to beggary, from the fact of their having no posi- 
tive means at the ends of their own fingers of earning their daily 



OBSERVATIONS REGARDING THE YOUTH OF BOTH SEXES. 531 

bread. On this point we would urge the knowledge of some useful 
employment on the part of the young of both sexes, no matter what 
wealth may surround them for the time being ; because by its acqui- 
sition they are, in a measure, secured against fate, and have an inner 
and more satisfactory sense of independence than flows from the 
possession of mere perishable riches. 

But, now presuming that our young suitor is fairly on the carpet, 
and that, with the sanction of his parents or guardian, which is indis- 
pensable, he has determined to win, if possible, the heart of some 
fair one supposed to be possessed of all the attributes, and the germs 
of all the qualifications, adverted to, it must be apparent that his 
hour of danger and difficulty has arrived, and that in dealing with it, 
the greatest caution and prudence ought to be observed. With a 
view to the fullest success, then, and in furtherance of the great 
object upon the holiest and highest basis, the moment he perceives 
a being worthy all his love and affection, she must at once become 
sacred in his eyes and never be the subject of any familiarity that 
might shock her ears or her sense of propriety in any degree, or 
that might tend to lower her in her own estimation. The more 
chaste and considerate his intercourse with her, to even the most 
trifling word or whisper, the higher her sense of his nobility, and, 
consequently, the warmer and the more profound her sentiments of 
love towards him. It is a mistaken idea that an occasional ques- 
tionable jest or brilliant double-entendre has any charm for the ear of 
a young maiden of correct perceptions ; for although the circum- 
stances of her position may often extort a smile from her as a foil 
for her pain and discomfiture, the shadow of the cruel though uninten- 
tional offence does not easily pass away from her, inasmuch as it is 
calculated to awaken in her chaste bosom doubts as to the morality 
and purity of the being whom she may love dearly. Let there be 
then, on the part of the suitor, a noble consideration for the woman 
who has given her whole heart to him ; and let him feel that the bonds 
which she is willing to assume, can be only made holy and happy 
when forged in a sense of true delicacy and the highest moral 
obligations. One impure, indelicate, or low word uttered in the ear 
of a truly chaste and virtuous woman may be destructive of her true 
happiness for all time to come ; while a single trifling act savoring 
of the libertine could not fail to estrange her from the transgressor 
forever, if faithful to her pride or sex, or else so humiliate her in her 
own eyes, as to cause her to feel that the love she brings to the altar 



532 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

is not so worthy, so fresh, or so sanctified, as it would have been 
had it not been soiled and dishonored, in a measure, by him who 
should have guarded it more jealously. 

The demeanor, then, to be observed by a young man, in relation 
to the maiden of his choice, must, while open, generous, and warm, 
be carefully studied, elevated, and free from the slightest taint of 
immorality. The step which he premeditates is the most serious 
that could possibly be undertaken by him, and as it involves a part- 
nership for life with a being whom he is to pledge himself before 
God and man to love and cherish until death, it behoves him to 
make the compact one of the most chaste and sacred, so that it may 
never pall upon his sensibilities, but always, under heaven, bear the 
impress of unfading youth. 

And now that we have been so explicit on this point, we must go 
farther, and warn the ardent and well-meaning suitor of another 
precipice that besets his path from the period of his declaration to 
his appearance before the altar, and that is, the great danger that 
attends the warm embraces which a lover sometimes bestows upon 
his affianced, when alone, without presuming for an instant, that his 
passions may outstrip his reason, and, in a moment of intense excite- 
ment, hurry him into an excess that would destroy the purity and 
self-respect of the being who confided so implicitly in his honor, until 
she stood before him a guilty and injured woman. This is a matter 
for most serious consideration ; for notwithstanding that the aggres- 
sor makes every reparation in his power and still redeem his plighted 
vows, the memory of this great indiscretion or crime, is likely to over- 
shadow all his subsequent married life. Let it then be distinctly 
understood, that even the ordinary embrace so frequent between two 
young lovers before they become united in marriage, must be indulged 
in with caution and reserve, where no eye but that of heaven is upon 
them. The passions, like tinder, often take fire from the slightest 
spark, and it therefore becomes a matter of the last importance, that 
until a man and a woman become one according to the laws of soci- 
ety as well as those of the Creator, the stronger vessel must keep his 
desires in hand with a bit and bridle the most inflexible and stern ; 
otherwise all the charm and brightness which properly belong to the 
marriage state can not fail to be tarnished or perhaps ultimately 
extinguished in gloom. 

When entering upon that phase of his life which tends towards 
matrimony, the young and ardent suitor, once that his heart is 



OBSERVATIONS REGARDING THE YOUTH OF BOTH SEXES. 533 

truly engaged, should treat the object of his affections with such 
loving respect and consideration, as could not fail to ennoble him in 
her eyes, and secure her heart upon a true and abiding basis. Every 
maiden of modesty and womanly instincts is thoroughly conversant 
with what is due to her, and alive to every circumstance, however tri- 
fling, bearing upon the character of her intended. The more profound 
her love the keener her discrimination, and the more jealous her eye 
and ear. Not a single expression or act appertaining to his intercourse 
with her or others but is weighed unconsciously, and subjected to 
that subtle process of analysis which is almost instantaneous in its 
results. It is therefore ungenerous, and as dangerous as it is unjust 
and reprehensible, to wound her susceptibilities in any relation ; for 
notwithstanding that she may permit, without actual censure, or 
apparent chagrin, any slight direliction of duty to pass in this relation, 
she can not fail to feel its un worthiness, and the shock to her esteem 
and affections which it must necessarily entail. 

But if we have dwelt upon what may be termed the two leading 
evils which beset the path of youth, there are yet others, scarcely less 
dangerous, which require the most careful consideration ; and one of 
these is the sin of intemperance. "We need not travel out of every 
day common record for evidence to establish the dread consequences 
of this dire infatuation and its general prevalence. Like most other 
criminal practices, it steals through the first stages of its progress 
by slow and imperceptible degrees ; but at each unconscious step, so 
securely does it entangle its victim in its meshes, that not unfre- 
quently he passes beyond the final point of redemption before he is 
thoroughly alive to his lost and hopeless state. And here, again, the 
influence and habits of the home circle become of the first impor- 
tance. If unswerving temperance be the inexorable rule of the house- 
hold — if the seductive cup, in even the most harmless aspect, be 
banished from it with firmness and persistency, there is every hope 
that the dangerous out-door influences which so throng the path of 
the inexperienced, may be met and neutralized. 

But if the household be tainted, to any extent, with the vice — if 
indulgent fathers and mothers will tempt their children with an 
occasional sweet spoonful of the poison, they do neither more nor 
less than set fire to one end of a slow fuse which is almost sure to 
result, one day or other, in the most fearful destruction. 

But as we are speaking, as it were, to a youth of understanding, 
we must appeal to his own manhood and sense of right. And here 



534: OUK FAMILY DOCTOK. 

we would observe, that next to the appalling crime of self-abuse, that 
of habitual intemperance is most destructive of pure love, and of the 
physical capacity or power to realize from the chaste passion all that 
heaven designed it should accord. No woman of correct feeling or 
judgment has ever bestowed her heart upon an habitual toper, or 
enjoyed his society for a moment, not to speak of his maudlin em- 
brace. This is true beyond question, and to an extent so dreadful, 
that no inconsiderable portion of the infidelity which a neglected and 
disgusted wife visits upon her husband to-day, may be traced simply 
to the vice of habitual drunkenness on his part. No matter how 
warm the affections of the maiden, or how sincere the love of the wife, 
this curse tramples out both alike ; and hence the necessity of the 
utmost vigilance on the part of any youth who would win and retain 
the heart of a pure and beautiful maiden, or preserve his health and 
manhood intact until both, at a ripe old age, declined in the natural 
order of things. It may be laid down as an axiom, then, that no 
true love can exist between a good and pure woman and the man 
who renders his person disgusting to her, and who in a measure 
emasculates himself through the constant use of intoxicating liquors; 
and when we come to dwell on the fact, that the prostration of his 
high mission and manhood arises from the indulgence of a loathsome 
vice, whose inception is to be traced to the first fatal and seductive 
glass that is thoughtlessly raised to his lips, surely the individual 
who is yet free from the taint of this curse, or the man who is its 
partial victim only, should, if these few lines happen to meet his eye, 
never approach — or dash from him forever — the cup that has been 
so fraught with some of the direst crimes, heart-aches, and miseries, 
known to the human family. When, therefore, it is a fact beyond 
contradiction, that a persistent use of stimulants of any description 
tends to generate morbid and adventitious sexual desires, that are 
succeeded by a reaction the most depressing, inconvenient, and dan- 
gerous, and that frequently result in permanent injury, what shall 
we say in denunciation of the habitual use of those fiery potations 
that not only lead to rags and beggary, but corrupt the blood, dis- 
figure the features, and trail the last particle of manhood in the 
dust? 

To all within reach of our warning voice we would, then, say, 
beware of the first glass, and those inebriates or thoughtless persons 
who would tempt you to pollute your lips with it. There is danger 
in even looking upon it or in breathing the atmosphere inhaled by 



OBSEKVATIONS REGAKDING THE YOUTH OF BOTH SEXES. 535 

those who have passed its fearful Kubicon, without either the wish 
or the power to retrace their steps. Avoid such, and their social 
meetings or orgies, with all the strength and decision of which you 
are capable; for in this relation also, "wide is the gate and broad is 
the way that leadeth to destruction." 

The vice of intemperance in youth is not unfrequently associated 
with that of gambling, and is almost invariably wedded to that of 
promiscuous sexual intercourse ; and here we find another dangerous 
pitfall besetting the paths of the young on their way towards matri- 
mony, and the attainment of the fullest and most perfect manhood. 
Fatal even as the crime of gambling, per se, may be, it is less ter- 
rible in its effects than the physical and moral destruction which 
results from the loathsome and contaminating embraces of the lost 
and lewd woman who sells her person to every passer by, and so 
poisons the life blood of her unsuspecting young victims as to entail 
upon them a life of disease and misery horrible to contemplate. A 
man may lose his money at the gaming-table, and suffer the pangs 
of remorse and the beggary that it involves, but criminal as the 
passion for play is, and frightful as have been the domestic disasters 
that have resulted and do still result from it, yet if he have escaped 
the vice of drink and the taint of impure and loathsome women — if 
his physical structure and mind is not wholly poisoned and de- 
bauched—there is hope for him, as a woman's love can survive the 
one, although it dies out into absolute hatred and disgust under 
the other. 

There is little more to be said on this part of the subject. "We 
have touched all its vital points, and trust that the seeds we have 
endeavored to plant, in all honesty and good will, may be found to 
bear the sweet and abiding fruit they are so pre-eminently calculated 
to yield. In summing up the whole case, then, we would say to 
fathers and guardians, form the thoughts and habits of your wards 
or children by a joyous and virtuous fireside. Let their earliest 
perceptions of right and wrong be based on no uncertain foundation. 
Set them examples of morality, and inculcate that religion in them 
which is filled with innocent sunshine and which alone is calculated 
to inspire their tender hearts with sentiments of true love towards 
their creator and their fellow men. Warn them, in the plainest possi- 
ble manner, of the danger of bad company, loose habits, and any and 
all of the evils and infamous practices that lie in wait for them, and 



536 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

when they grow up to be men, they will bless and appreciate the 
kindly care bestowed upon them, and be not only a credit to them- 
selves, but to the human family at large. * 

On the Relations between Man and Wife. 

We now meet, as it were, two pure beings at the altar, who have 
profited by the advice and ensample of judicious parents or guardians, 
of sound morals and social views; but notwithstanding that the 
crowning happiness of the two lovers has been achieved in their 
becoming man and wife, there is yet much to be considered and 
accomplished on the part of both before their feet are established 
upon a rock. 

In the first moments of his matrimonial existence, then, the newly 
fledged husband must not suppose for a single instant the ears or 
the eyes of his wife are less chaste and pure than they were before 
she had become his in the sight of God and man. Here is a point 
of vital importance, and one upon which such grave issues hang that 
we place it in the very first rank of our present observations. Save 
in one instance alone, the conduct and consideration evinced towards 
the maiden must be mainly observed towards the wife ; for through 
this manifestation of respect and delicacy, the freshness and novelty 
of courtship may be continued for an indefinite period. Let the 
wife be preserved by the husband a beautiful mystery in part, — let 
the natural veil of modesty which shrouds every pure woman be never 
ruthlessly torn apart, or her sense of propriety be blunted by coarse 
or indelicate remarks, and the charm of her being will never pall 
upon the senses, but, on the contrary be, as Shelley has it, "A joy 
forever." 

It is too frequently the case that a young husband fancies the 
nuptial ceremony gives him the fullest power over the person of his 
wife, and that consequently the precise character of the intercourse 
between them, now that they are married, is not a matter of much 
moment ; but a more grievous misapprehension could scarcely ob- 
tain in any relation, for a wife's sensibilities and person can be so 
abused as to be debauched in a measure, and so lessen her regard 
for the secrets of wedlock that they lose all their charms in her 
eyes, while the aggressor in the case suffers in the same direction, 
and precisely to a similar extent. 



ON THE RELATIONS BETWEEN MAN AND WIFE. 537 

This is a fact substantiated by the experience of tens of thousands ; 
and, as the destruction of the fine fibre of which these sacred rela- 
tions are formed, obviously leads to much indifference in both parties, 
we can at once perceive of what importance it is to keep it intact, and 
how necessary to the happiness of wedded life to preserve to the . 
latest hour of its existence something at least of the sweet freshness 
that hung about its dawn. 

As we have already descanted somewhat diffusely upon the rule of 
conduct to be observed on the part of the youth as well as on that 
of the maiden who intended to become one at the altar, so now that 
we presume them to be man and wife, we would be equally explicit 
as to how they should comport themselves as such. In addition, then, 
to what we have already just said, we would observe that in the first 
moments of wedded life the constant and unreasoning abuse of the 
privileges of a husband can not but result in evil consequences to 
both parties, inasmuch as it tends to render commonplace that which 
is intended by an all- wise Creator to be otherwise, and is the bright- 
est and holiest link that unites the sexes. This privilege once fami- 
liarized through constant and inordinate indulgence, loses all its 
charms, while the abuse which robs it of them, not only tends to 
injure the young wife physically, but the husband also. In this vital 
and mysterious intercourse, there must be no false excitement or 
attempt to forestall nature. In this relation, the tide must flow and 
ebb according to the promptings of a law that none can fail to com- 
prehend, and whose operations must not be accelerated if they are 
to be an unfailing source of delight, and to influence us through long 
years with undiminished powers. The reaction which unvariably at- 
tends any continuous excesses of this character is so painful, humili- 
ating, and dangerous, as not unfrequently to lead to the most serious 
misunderstandings between the parties most concerned and destroy 
that sweet confidence which should obtain between them. Again, 
the evil consequences of such excesses to the infant yet unborn are 
at times frightful to contemplate. A weakly and diseased frame, 
and, frequently, mind, are the dreadful results, while the health of 
the mother sometimes suffers commensurately. The young husband 
also pays his share of the penalty; as the natural excitement which 
is the true key to all the pleasures that attend the sexual relations 
when indulged in upon the true basis, dies out under the enervating 
influences of satiety until the bond between man and wife becomes 
so relaxed in this relation as to be almost worthless. And let it be 



538 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

clearly comprehended here, that as this bond becomes weakened or 
vitiated between the young persons, so wanes their love and esteem 
for each other, until in time they come to look upon their union with 
apathy if not disfavor, and then are opened up all the approaches to 
misery the most abject and heartrending. Let there be, therefore, 
caution and moderation used in this all-important relation on the 
part of the husband, as he alone is apt to be the transgressor, — for 
we can not suppose a case, except in the rarest instance, when the 
wife is at fault on this head. 

As a large majority of mankind have to earn their daily bread in 
some way or other, we shall be safe in appealing on the subject of 
prudence and economy to almost any newly-married couple ; and, in 
doing so, we would remark, in the first place, that poverty does not, 
as a general thing, tend to perpetuate that feeling of love or affection 
between man and wife that had influenced the days of their courtships, 
and that, consequently, a primary object with the husband should 
be the maintenance of his wife upon a comfortable and abiding basis, 
and the total rejection of any habits that through their expensiveness 
might interfere with his success in this direction. The man is totally 
wanting in affection and chivalry, who fails to provide properly for 
his wife when it is in his power to do so, or when by curtailing some 
of his wasteful personal expenses he might add to her comfort and 
independence. Not unfrequently the amount which has drifted into 
the restaurant, the cigar-shop, and the drinking-saloon, out of the 
pocket of the young man who has just crossed the threshold of mat- 
rimony, if properly expended, might have obviated a life of misery, 
and laid the foundation of a cheerful and happy fireside for the rest 
of his days. For it is well known, that these haunts not only tend 
to engender neglect on the part of the husband towards a wife, but 
often so embarrass those of anything approaching limited means, 
that frequent intercourse with them leads, almost without an excep- 
tion, to domestic infelicities. While we write, we have in our mind's 
eye a number of thoughtless and unhappy beings, whose thraldom 
in this relation has destroyed their once cheerful households, and 
whose neglect had so estranged and disgusted their once true and 
affectionate wives, that they drifted into infidelity, and became lost 
to virtue and society forever. The saying, " a constant dropping will 
wear a stone," is a trite and philosophic one ; and the man, young or 
old, who presumes so far upon the truth and affection of his wife as 
to fancy that neither could possibly give way under his constant 



ON THE RELATIONS BETWEEN MAN AND WIFE. 539 

Indifference or vulgar and intemperate habits, knows but little of the 
human heart, or how easily that of some women is crushed out of 
shape. 

Nor is the newly-married wife secure from danger, on her own 
part, in this relation ; for sometimes she also, now that she considers 
herself finally disposed of, falls into the practice of indulging in some 
sweet little spirituous potation, which grows upon her until she at 
last falls a victim to the intoxicating glass. To the maiden who has 
just lelt the altar with the man of her choice, we would then say, 
"touch not, taste not, the unclean thing." There is danger lurking 
within the intoxicating cup, however disguised it may be, and when 
once its subtle poison taints the sweet breath or mars the mellifluous 
tongue of one of the gentler sex, her doom is almost irrevocably 
sealed! Let, therefore, neither the usages of polite society, nor the 
seductions of any of her own cherished circle of friends induce her 
to tamper, even in the most remote degree, with the insidious poison 
of the bowl ; for so subtle and destructive is it, that its first contact 
with certain natures has been known to lead to headlong ruin, and 
so swiftly as to appal even the stoutest heart. 

In truth, the greatest caution must be observed on both sides of 
the house in this connection, as well as in that of industry, economy, 
and prudence. And if the most fitting place for the husband, after 
the labors of the day are over, is his own fireside, with his young wife 
by his side, she, "the partner of his joys and woes," must endeavor 
to surround his home Avith every possible attraction ; and light it up 
with a cheerful face and all the nameless charms that make it "the 
only spot on earth" to him. To this end, she must be always neat 
in her person, if at all within the range of possibility, for there is 
nothing more pleasurable to a husband than a sense of the purity of 
the personal habits of his wife, and the comeliness of her attire when 
she presents herself before him. This latter involves neither labor 
nor very extraordinary expense. The bath, and, if needs be, the 
simplest fabrics, shaped, if necessary, beneath her own supple fingers, 
will meet all the necessitie of the case. These are attractions of such 
virtue and potency that they always operate like a magnet, and not 
unfrequently draw a husband away from the evil influences that tempt 
him to regard his home as a place of tenrporary sojourn only. We 
have paid some attention to the subject, and can vouch for the fact, 
that, in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, a pure, industrious, and 
cheerful wife, who meets her husband with a bright and warm smile 



540 OUK FAMILY DOCTOK. 

on the threshold of her dwelling, spends the majority of her even- 
ings in his society, without a fear for the future. 

We are> of course, aware that there are some men so lost to every- 
thing that dignifies humanity or renders the marriage state all that 
it ought to be, that no ties can bind them ; but we make no reference 
to them, and allude only to those of sound understanding and ordi- 
narily good morals. Yet even here we admit that the rule is not 
infallible, as some husbands are so weak and easily led as to soon 
fall away from their first love, and lose themselves in less sanctified 
relations. However, the most advisable course for a young wife to 
pursue, under any circumstance, is to make her house and her per- 
son as attractive as possible, and to supplement the cheerful blaze 
of her fireside with the light of her own winning smiles and ways, 
and the thousand nameless little enchantments which, taken together, 
often weave the silken meshes which retain with a strength not to 
be overcome, the willing captive who, under less favorable and 
grateful circumstances, might have launched out into some course 
of conduct fraught with destruction not only to himself but the 
being he was pledged to cherish and protect to the last hour of 
his life. 

But there are other observances, also, which ought to be regarded 
with the most profound caution by the newly married who desire to 
spend their days in comfort and happiness together ; and one is the 
manner of their intercourse with such of the opposite sex as either 
the husband or wife may come into friendly contact with. Every 
properly constituted man or woman is more or less of a jealous dis- 
position ; for without this sentiment, active or latent to some extent, 
there can be no true love. Censure it as you may — call it mean and 
petty, if you will — but the fact obtains, nevertheless. Who that is 
conversant with the press in any degree, but can bear evidence to the 
fact that scarcely a newspaper is published without some painful re- 
cital, bearing upon this point, meeting the eye. To avoid the devas- 
tating influences, or approach of the "green-eyed monster," should 
be a leading feature of the wife's prudence, as well as of that of the 
husband; for so unreasoning and sensitive are our natures in this 
direction, that when they are once aroused to suspicion, they seldom 
or never recover their wonted tone of confidence. And yet the ac- 
cused party may be virtually innocent of the crime laid to his or her 
charge, although there are generally some grounds for censure on 
the score of thoughtlessness or that lightness or trifling which is so 



ON THE KELATIONS BETWEEN MAN AND WIFE. 541 

liable to be misinterpreted by certain individuals. Above all things, 
then, and especially on the part of the wife, no matter what the purity 
of her soul or intentions, she is always to be circumspect with regard 
to her conduct or intercourse, in company or otherwise, with any of 
the opposite sex. Caution and decorum in this connection is of the 
first importance ; for not only might any thoughtless familiarity, or 
any laxness of self-respect on this head be wholly misinterpreted by 
her husband, but, how innocent soever, be likely to fare no better at 
the hands of the individual towards whom she might have comported 
herself with unconscious levity. There is, therefore, nothing for it but 
the strictest prudence and an unswerving adherence to such a line of 
conduct as might be pursued with safety in the presence of her hus- 
band towards any gentleman of her acquaintance. Nor must there 
be any innocent secret confidences with any male friend, no matter 
how laudable the object, outside the sanction and recognition of her 
rightful counsellor and protector. The truer and prouder the hus- 
band, the more sensitive and the more jealous of his honor, and of 
his claims upon all the consideration to which he regards himself 
entitled on the part of the woman of his love — the wife of his 
bosom. 

Lamentable as it is, the fact is notorious that even one furtive 
glance — one thoughtless expression — one little whisper — has often 
led to direst consequences between man and wife. The despotism 
of true love is, at times, frightful on this head ; for without pausing 
to reason, it frequently gives way at once to the most devouring jea- 
lousy. When, therefore, we know that any want of circumspection 
on the part of the wife in her daily intercourse with such of her male 
friends as may have access to her fireside or table, is certain to be 
construed to her prejudice, and when such would be certain to dis- 
turb the spirit, and awaken perhaps the most fearful misapprehensions 
on the part of her husband, were he a proud, loving, and sensitive 
man, she can scarcely over-estimate the importance of the advice 
which we here offer, and which if followed rigidly, is sure to redound 
to her credit and happiness, and keep the light hovering about her 
hearthstone and burning brightly upon the altar of her own heart. 
As a general rule, then, no matter how intimate her gentlemen friends 
may be with her husband, or how frequently they may find a welcome 
beneath her roof, there must still be observed towards them that 
chaste and prudent course of conduct which they will not be slow to 
respect, or to attribute to the right cause, and which may be indulged 



542 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

in without the slightest shadow of acerbity or detriment to even the 
most generous hospitality. The fact is, a woman in all her most 
exalted relations is something like snow, — the purity and lustre of 
which, as we all know, suffer to some extent, at least, from foreign 
contact. 

But it must not be presumed that the husband is not equally 
bound to be strictly observant on his part, also, as to how he com- 
ports himself in the opposite direction. The usages of society, we 
are well aware, allows him a greater latitude in this sphere than it 
accords to his wife ; but then there are proper limits set to it likewise; 
and the moment he transgresses them he also becomes rightfully 
the subject of censure, and is an aggressor against the peace and 
happiness of the being he vowed to protect and cherish with all the 
love and affection of which he is capable. Yet, while the wife admits 
that civilized usages permit him to move with greater freedom among 
females than is accorded to her in her intercourse with males, she 
can determine, with the quick eye and intuition of her sex, when he 
transgresses the bounds of decorum, in her presence, or fails in the 
allegiance due to her alone, and treasures the wrong within her soul 
of souls. In this it is impossible for a husband to deceive with 
continuous success the perceptions and intuitions of the partner of 
his bed. There is about her that which fathoms and apprehends 
the most trifling approach to infidelity or immorality on the part of 
the man she loves. No matter how silent or uncomplaining she may 
appear to be, she feels, from certain unexplainable indices perhaps, 
that all is not right ; and thus the canker sets in, that, if she loves with 
all her soul and might, gradually destroys all that makes life worth 
an hour's purchase, saps her life-blood, and hurries her to an early 
grave. 

These are truths which admit of no contradiction, and such being 
the case, the husband, in his turn, should, in his intercourse with 
the opposite sex, be just as careful and as sparing of the feelings of 
his wife as she of his. Nor need there be any sacrifice on the part 
of either, if both are pure and wise in their social relations. Let there 
not be a shadow of doubt or secrecy between them on any subject 
whatever. Let the one be as frank and generous to the other in 
every relation, as possible for man and wife to be, and let no diffi- 
culty respecting the conduct of either relative to a third party 
remain unexplained for a single moment. Let there be no secrets, 
no mystery, but everything between both as plain, as honest, and as 



ON THE RELATIONS BETWEEN MAN AND WIFE. 543 

open as the day, and much that might otherwise be dangerous or 
unpleasant will be obviated totally. 

As in the unmarried state, so in the married, the selection of pro- 
per associates and friends is a matter of vital importance. No man 
or woman who is careless in this relation can fail to suffer from the 
circumstance. It therefore behooves the young husband to ex- 
clude from his house or fireside such persons of their acquaintance 
as are of loose or questionable habits, and who, beneath the mask 
of a pleasing exterior, conceal a heart given to deceit or lewdness. 
It is impossible not to suffer from frequent contact with such peo- 
ple ; and for a husband to introduce any of them into his household 
is to thrust an indignity upon his wife, and subject her to influences 
the most unholy. There must, consequently, be no vacillation in the 
course to be pursued here. If a husband is aware personally or by 
report, that a man, no matter what his social position, is of impure 
morals or even inclined to light speech or conduct, he must never be 
permitted, if at all. possible, to breathe the same atmosphere as that 
inhaled by a pure and good woman beneath the roof of her own 
dwelling; for to subject her to inspiring it, after the contamination 
it must in some cases have suffered, would be a wrong so grievous 
as to be almost without a parallel. 

In the same way the wife must be cautious and circumspect in re- 
lation to the choice of lady friends and acquaintances ; and, above all 
things, before taking them to her bosom, she must be thoroughly 
satisfied of their uprightness, and purity of thought and action. The 
very attire even must not be overlooked, in the selection ; for where 
a young or an old woman is gaudily or expensively dressed, when 
there is not the amplest means to sustain the folly, they are to be 
invariably regarded as undesirable companions, — while, should they 
even be possessed of adequate wealth, they may be generally set down 
as light, frivolous people, of contracted minds and unhealthy tenden- 
cies. There is no difficulty at all in recognizing those upon whom 
the young wife may properly rely for womanly aid and sympathy, 
when such are necessary. The chaste matron, of silvery locks, with 
her sweet, pure daughter, who has been brought up to feel her de- 
pendence upon heaven and her duty towards the whole human family, 
are of the class whose society should be cherished and prized by the 
interesting creature who may soon become a mother. Those of erra- 
tic ideas and disquieting influences ought to be studiously avoided; 
as their presence in any household is undesirable, from the fact that 



544 OUK FAMILY DOCTOR. 

frequent contact with such persons often so blunt the sensibilities 
and confuse the sense of right and wrong, that domestic misunder- 
standings soon obtain, and the happiness that should attend a well- 
ordered family marred, perhaps, forever. Intercourse with thought- 
less and extravagant people, and especially those whose chief delight 
is gossip and dress, is especially dangerous to the young housekeeper 
of moderate means, as it awakens within her a spirit of emulation 
that is unworthy, and tends to create desires which outstrip her in- 
come and lead to the embarrassment of her husband. If a wife in 
limited circumstances will select for her companions such flimsy and 
gaudy creatures, she must soon find herself drifting into their repre- 
hensible and expensive habits, or will, at last, begin to institute such 
inconvenient comparisons between their costly attire and her own 
neat and simple habiliments, as are likely to lead to discontent and 
such discomforting sentiments regarding her husband and her sur- 
roundings, as seldom fail to result in partial if not total estrangement 
of the one from the other. "Evil communications corrupt good 
manners," is an aphorism of undoubted truth and universal recogni- 
tion ; and in no circumstances of life has the force of the adage been 
more apparent, at times, than in those pertaining to the early mar- 
riage relations of young persons of moderate means. The ensam- 
ples of extravagance in dress, or in any other relation, among the 
companions of the inexperienced wife or those of her youthful hus- 
band, are dangerous in the extreme, and should be avoided with 
constant and studious care. The duties of the household in the one 
case, and those out-door employments w T hich generally obtain in the 
other, are never so well performed or attended to as when associated 
with ideas native to them, or imbued only with a desire to attain 
wealth or position upon an honest, reasonable, and useful basis, — 
which, after all, is the broadest and surest foundation that can be 
built on in any relation of life. 

To succeed, then, in the marriage state, it may be laid down as a 
general rule, that the habits of both wife and husband shall be fru- 
gal, and their tastes congenial, to a great extent. If possessed of 
any antagonistic elements, their first and constant care should be 
to endeavor to harmonize them on the basis of love and chivalry, — 
the husband yielding a point on the grounds of the one, and the wife 
moving forward a step to meet him under the promptings of the 
other. And to this end all disputations, how trifling soever, ought 
to be eschewed with the greatest care. Out of mole-hills such as 



ON THE RELATIONS BETWEEN MAN AND WIFE. 545 

these, very frequently real mountains arise, and to the fatal disrup- 
tion of all domestic ties. We have been taught that the gravest 
consequences sometimes arise out of trifles; and in no respect 
has the truth of this become more apparent than in the relations 
existing between man and wife. Let there, therefore, be the best 
and most loving understanding between both. If the husband has 
acquired any habit distasteful to his wife, and based upon no 
principle of utility or common sense, he should speedily abandon it ; 
and if, on the other hand, the wife has any failing or foible which 
may be dispensed with to advantage, she will be wise in discarding 
it and affording her husband an opportunity of perceiving that she 
is willing to sacrifice — if sacrifice it may be called — whatever habits 
or traits of character are distasteful to him on her part. Through 
such mutual compromises they will learn to live a life^of happiness, 
and each become more and more a part of the other. 

But, whatever the wealth of a newly-married couple, the wife 
will always find it to her interest, both mental and physical, to 
cultivate frugal and industrious habits, as from these no inconsid- 
erable portion of her health and enjoyment must accrue. No 
lackadaisical novel-reader or victim of fashionable ennui has ever 
yet tasted the sweets of life, married or single, to the extent designed 
by nature. The woman who keeps her own household well in hand, 
or who manages it in some adequate degree at least, never spends a 
fruitless or tiresome hour. Time never hangs heavily upon her hands ; 
and as the comforts that obtain, or grow up about her, are in a 
measure her own creation, her enjoyment of them will be the more 
keen, and her pride in their existence more grateful and justifiable. 
There are no circumstances in life so well assured to any individual 
as to enable him or her, as the case may be, to assert that the 
encroachments of poverty have been made impossible. Often do we 
perceive the millionaire of to-day the beggar of to-morrow; and 
such being the undoubted fact, the woman is w T ise wdio renders 
herself to some extent independent of the whims of fortune, by 
accustoming herself to the performance of such household duties as 
are indispensable to her own comfort or that of her husband, and who 
keeps her fingers more or less engaged in the pursuit of some femi- 
nine occupation calculated to minister to her needs in the hour of 
necessity. 

While making these observations, however, it must not be pre- 
sumed that we ignore the culture of the mind or of the taste. On 



546 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

the contrary, the interests of both may be attended to with excellent 
results, if the manner of improving them be clearly understood. 
There is scarce an object in art or nature that does not afford a text 
to the sincere inquirer after truth; and as all knowledge lies in 
understanding the one and the other in the profoundest sense, this 
may be approached, to some extent, by those in even the most 
restricted circumstances, if they only begin at the right point and 
pursue their studies systematically. 

To the accomplishment of this end, all trashy novels and exciting 
romances should be scattered to the winds ; and pleasant, instructive 
books adopted in their stead, whenever a moment can properly be 
devoted to reading. There is nothing which so unfits a maiden or 
a young wife for her duties as the study of such characters as are 
presented in the sensational, yellow-covered literature of the day. 
From the perusal of such questionable works the very worst results 
accrue. Between the plane upon which such heroes and heroines 
live and breathe and the one upon which all sensible people exist, 
there is such antagonism as to make the one wholly incompatible 
with the other. Consequently, in indulging in the contemplation of 
such creations and circumstances as form the staple of avast major- 
ity of the publications that now flood the market, is to make war 
upon common sense, and imbibe such sentiments and general views 
in relation to our responsibilities as are at once unhealthy and inad- 
missible. Interesting works, disclosing real knowledge in a popular 
and fascinating manner, such as those on natural history, the man- 
ners and customs of the different peoples of the earth, interesting 
biographies, incidents of travel, and such like, are desirable at all 
times ; and as we can not but come in contact with works of fiction, 
our only care in this relation should be to select those of fine moral 
tendencies, that while they give a true insight into human character 
and present vice and virtue in their proper colors, shall lead us on 
in the paths of progress and religion, until we attain the highest 
perception of our duties and obligations to the great Author of our 
being, and the mighty human brotherhood to which we belong. 

These are considerations of the gravest importance. The young 
wife, to whom we now address ourselves more particularly, can not 
over-estimate their desirability. The moment she steps across her 
own threshold, she should, therefore, survey all the circumstances 
of the case, and begin her wedded life on the only true basis, if a 
future of usefulness and happiness is her aim. Good habits, like 



ON THE RELATIONS BETWEEN MAN AND WIFE. 547 

evil ones, grow upon one ; so that the first move beneath her own 
roof should be taken with caution, and in the right direction. "We 
all know how difficult it is to retrace a false step, or to redeem lost 
time. To begin well is a point achieved, and one of the greatest 
importance. The French have an axiom, "it is only the first step 
that costs," and a truer one has seldom been uttered. The intelli- 
gence must, indeed, be obtuse that can not appreciate its force and 
its appropriateness at the present moment, or recognize the necessity, 
in relation to both our spiritual and our temporal well-being, of 
adopting industrious, moral, and temperate habits, as well as of 
never wearying in the pursuit of that which is calculated to strenghen 
them, and establish them on an immovable basis. 

Another important desideratum relative to newly-married people 
is, the cultivation of each other's society when at all possible, and the 
constant study of each other's excellencies. These latter traits of 
character must be kept persistently in the foreground, and be made, 
so far as practicable, to cover whatever defects may, at times, peep out 
on the part of either the wife or the husband. To err is human, and 
we can not, therefore, expect absolute perfection in ourselves or in 
others, so that by taking an occasional peep into our own hearts we 
shall be prepared, in a measure, to make allowances for whatever 
slight defects may be apparent in those who are near and dear to 
us. One of the strongest bonds of union between man and wife is 
that of mutual admiration of each other's society, a similarity of tastes 
and intellectual pursuits, and a desire to minister to each other's edi- 
fication and amusement. No day or hour should pass without the 
cultivation of the warmest sentiments in this connection, for although 
the circumstances of business may separate the husband from the 
wife for many hours daily, yet the magnetism of true love and affec- 
tion can go forth on its subtle mission, and apprise both that their 
hearts beat in union, and that they are looking forward alike to the 
happy evening hour which shall re-unite them. A cultivation of such 
thoughts and the indulgence of such sweet anticipations will tend to 
cheer both during their hours of separation, and give the keenest 
zest to the moment when they shall again meet in a fond and wel- 
come embrace. In this way they can, if they will, make their lives 
and their homes beautiful ; and so prepare the way for the first little 
stranger who may bless their union, that it shall appear on this stage 
of existence under the most fortuitous circumstances, and draw its 
first inspirations in an atmosphere of purity and love, when its mys- 



548 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

terious being had been fostered under the conditions indispensable 
to a healthy physical and mental organization, and in the absence of 
which the yet unborn babe is subjected to influences the most de- 
structive, and that scarcely ever fail to manifest their baneful results 
in after years. How obvious, then, the necessity of considering, with 
the most profound caution and attention those characteristics and 
observances which are alone capable of making the marriage state at 
all desirable ! Any laxness in this relation will, most assuredly, be 
attended with lamentable consequences ; for the moment the bond 
of union between a newly-wedded couple becomes tarnished or in 
any degree a matter of indifference, it begins to dissolve in reality, 
and often, unfortunately, becomes impatient of the law that makes 
its total disruption a matter of difficulty or impossibility. 

Concluding Obseevations. 

Now that we have trodden the sweet mazes of courtship and 
stepped over the more sacred threshold of married life, we have 
found how necessary it is for the youth and the maiden on the one 
hand and the young married couple on the other, to harbor no desires 
or indulge in no practices calculated to mar the happiness which 
heaven intends should characterize both states of existence. Not- 
withstanding that we may moralize upon the rottenness of society, 
and descant upon its multitudinous vices, it has virtue and decision 
enough left yet, to punish those who violate its laws or usages in 
certain relations. Nor need there be the slightest misapprehension 
on this head. Corrupt as the age may seem to be, it does not 
hesitate, in all Christian communities at least, to denounce every 
man or woman of known immoral tendencies ; and will tolerate in 
him or her absolute dishonesty rather than the absence of virtue, 
in the sexual acceptation of the term. We are, however, constrained 
to admit that the law or usage in this connection is more inexor- 
able in relation to the woman than in that of the man. This is an 
injustice, but it is useless to kick against it, from the fact that it 
will always obtain. It is then of the most vital importance that both 
married and single should accept these facts fully; and, even upon 
the low plane of selfishness, avoid the transgression of those laws, 
and eschew indulgence in any excesses or improprieties attended 
with such disgraceful and embarrassing results. 

But no matter how circumspect and cautious a young married or 



ON THE RELATIONS BETWEEN MAN AND WIFE. 549 

unmarried couple may endeavor to be in the observance of the duties 
appertaining to courtship or those belonging to wedlock, unless a sin- 
cere recognition of their responsibility to heaven and an ardent desire 
to do what is right in its sight underlie all their endeavors. Where 
we find, in either sex, the slightest tendency to matrimonial relations, 
we must pre-suppose a matured understanding, to some extent at 
least, and be influenced by the inference that the hour of accounta- 
bility has arrived. Hence the necessity, on the part of the young 
who approach the threshold of matrimony, and those who have just 
crossed it, of cultivating a proper reverence for things of a divine 
nature, and of asking daily if not hourly for that desire to do right 
and that strength to perform it which comes only from above. The 
soul that becomes wholly absorbed in mere selfish gratifications and 
the pursuits of wealth, however, has fallen from its high estate, and 
estranges itself from the enjoyment of true earthly happiness ; for 
there can be no God where the love of gain reigns supreme. Indus- 
trious habits and a laudable desire of independence, are quite compa- 
tible with our duty towards the Creator and our fellow men; and this 
is the more obvious, as our worldly prospects are invariably enhanced 
through a strict performance of our obligations in this direction. 
The day that is begun with a clear perception of our responsibilities, 
and a determination, under heaven, to perform them, come what may, 
generally terminates happily, and lays the foundation for a morrow 
more cheerful and prosperous still. The life is more than meat and 
the body more than raiment ; and as we minister to both daily, so 
shall our reward be. Although disgusting and ruinous above all 
things, that sloth and idleness whose doom is misery and whose cos- 
tume is rags, it is scarcely more reprehensible than that devouring 
love of gain which so petrifies the heart as to make it impervious 
to any of those ennobling sentiments which dignify humanity and 
link us to the skies. We have evidence upon evidence of the truth 
of this assertion, and are only surprised at such constantly recurring 
examples before our own eyes of the fact that the struggle for mate- 
rial wealth on the part of both married and single continues, in so 
many cases, to be at the expense of soul and body. 

No man or woman, whatever his or her condition or years, can enjoy 
this life to the fullest, without sufficient rest and recreation. The 
quality and quantity of food, or of the textile fabrics from which 
clothing is manufactured, may be modified to some extent to meet 
our emergencies, but evil ensues at once should we deny ourselves 



550 OUE FAMILY DOCTOR. 

sufficient sleep, or such recreation as may be necessary to recuper- 
ate our energies, both mental and physical. There is nothing gained 
by overtaxing our powers in any relation whatever ; for nature will 
assert her claims, and rebel against any persistent encroachments 
upon her rights, in the ultimate form of disease or death. In the 
pursuit of their daily avocations, then, those who are constrained to 
labor for their bread must be cautious that they no not permit their 
whole existence to be absorbed in the struggle to obtain this 
world's goods ; but rather, when the legitimate hours for labor have 
been industriously spent, give themselves up to the culture of their 
minds; and, if married, to those fireside joys in which the cares of 
the day are so soon forgotten, and which tend to both form and 
confirm those habits of temperance and moral excellence, without 
which life becomes a burden, and the ends of creation are frus- 
trated. 

The desire to accumulate wealth, however laudable, is attended with 
great danger, and should never be permitted to gain too great an 
ascendency over us. And here is just where the golden mean should 
be observed ; and happy is the young husband or wife who is able 
to adopt it under standingly; and, while they labor to better their 
circumstances, should they be restricted, persistently regard what- 
ever gold they may acquire as simply an agent for good, placed 
within their control by Providence, and who, winning it upon an 
upright, humane, and generous basis, overtaxes neither body nor 
mind in its acquisition. And then, again, supposing fortune should 
prove adverse, and cause the light to burn low upon the hearthstone 
of the frugal, industrious, moral, and loving pair, how beautiful 
may the mission of both become if they only regard their lot as 
apportioned to them by Him who makes all things work together 
for good. Should such a conviction obtain on the part of the wife, 
while the influence of religion enables her to bow meekly to the 
chastening rod, then shine forth those angel qualities which are 
more luminous than light itself, and which go far to rob the 
darkest hour of its gloom. And cold indeed must be the heart of 
the husband that could be insensible to the benign influence of 
such a worthy helpmeet, or that could not sympathize with those 
noble efforts to render his lot less burdensome, and to prompt him 
to still labor and hope on with cheerful resignation. It is in this 
relation, as in all others of adversity, that the angel in the pure 
woman most shines forth ; and, feeling as we do, that not only here, 



ON THE RELATIONS BETWEEN MAN AND WIFE. 551 

but in various other directions, her mission is one of the most ex- 
alted, we are anxious that no untoward circumstances shall be per- 
mitted to embarrass it in the way of habits or associations, and that 
she shall be always surrounded by those only who are ensamples of 
goodness and of truth, and who feel that the highest aim of human 
existence is to glorify the Creator in endeavoring to attain the most 
exalted point of mental, moral, and physical excellence. 

As observed in a former portion of our remarks on the training 
of the young of both sexes, much of the success that is hoped for, 
will, if it ever obtain, be based mainly upon the foundation laid in 
childhood by their parents. And here we again advert to the grave 
responsibility which attaches to the latter respecting the education 
and the formation of the habits of their children. In this connection 
we have endeavored to point out with the utmost clearness the promi- 
nent rocks and quicksands upon which even children have been early 
wrecked ; and in following up the question have shown that our re- 
marks applied equally to the case of the youth or maiden who was 
verging towards the momentous though fascinating precincts of mat- 
rimony. We have intimated, also, that the condition of the wife 
during pregnancy and the rule of her temper influenced her offspring 
to an extraordinary extent. This latter is a fact of such tremendous 
importance, that it ought to be engraven upon the heart of every 
young maiden, and upon that of every wife who is likely to become 
a mother; for it has been ascertained beyond a shadow of doubt 
that the indulgence of angry passions, tempers, or humors, during 
pregnancy, or while the child yet hangs at the breast, is almost inva- 
riably fraught with the direst consequences to the unsuspecting and 
helpless little stranger. Should any disquieting influences continue 
to disturb the young wife at such periods, the babe, whether born 
or unborn, carries in its physical structure or in its mental, the ter 
rible impress of the fact through life ; so that not only must the 
embryo be conceived under circumstances the most desirable — 
whether mental, moral, or physical — but be nursed in this atmos- 
phere until it reaches that stage of maturity when it is to be born a 
child into this world. In fact, it is now thoroughly understood that 
at the moment of conception the frame of mind in which either 
parent may be, or the leading sentiment which pervades the mind of 
either — or again the physical condition of either — is sure to impress 
itself in these relations upon the mysterious entity which is yet to 
tive and move and breathe ; and such being the case, we shall lend 



552 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

further weight to our remarks on this vital topic, by extracting the 
following important observations on the subject from a recent 
number of HalVs Journal of Health: — 

"In France, one person out of every thirteen hundred becomes 
subject to legal punishment. But of infants abandoned in the 
streets by their mothers, one out of every one hundred and fifty- 
eight reaches the State Prison. With this view, eminent men have 
advised that it would be better to let them all die. But this shows 
the importance of parental training. The parents should mould the 
character of their children, not only after they are born, but be- 
fore. It is the taint in the blood, the mental and moral conditions 
of the mother while the infant feeds on her milk. A case lately 
occurred where the mother became uncontrollably enraged at her 
husband. In half an hour she calmed down and put her infant to 
the breast; it fell into convulsions, and died. 

" Other cases are given, leading to the inference that if within an 
hour or two of any violent mental emotion the impregnating act 
follows, the offering has that predominating trait through life. 
Nothing else so well accounts for the diversity of character among 
children of the same parents. The idea merits thoughtful consider- 
ation, that a temporary condition of the mind, of a very decided 
character, impresses itself on the offspring. That condition of mind 
may not be common to either parent, may not exist once in a year, 
but its existence gives the tinge — the hue — to temperament and 
constitution. Aaron Burr's father was a clergyman, the son of a 
clergyman, and of irreproachable character ; his mother the daughter 
of a clergyman, of mind and morals and social position nowhere 
excelled — seldom equalled. The youthful pair were brought up in 
all the innocence and purity of a model family of educated, elevated 
Christian principles. But impure thoughts come to all at times, — 
so do doubt and infidelity to the Christian faith. These may have 
existed at critical times during gestation in the mother, or previous- 
ly, in the father; for the offspring was a compound of mental power 
and moral degradation — villainous, traitorous, unprincipled, and 
impure." 

We now draw these brief articles to a close ; but before penning 
the last sentence, we would implore parents and guardians, and all 
concerned, to ponder long and seriously over the solemn and impor- 
tant truths they contain. No more vital subject can possibly engross 
the mind of a man or that of woman, inasmuch as it involves the 



ON THE KELATIONS BETWEEN MAN AND WIFE. 553 

health and happiness of the rising generation, as well as the interests 
of millions yet unborn. To parents especially, we would address a 
few concluding words ; beeause, as we have already observed, upon 
them rests, in a measure, the great weight of the responsibility rela- 
tive to the future of their children and their bearing upon society, 
not to speak of their final happiness when they shuffle off this mortal 
coil. 

"We need not recapitulate the arguments we have used, or the facts 
we have multiplied so copiously. The way is plain to the most per- 
fect success, if it is only trodden cautiously, cheerfully, and with 
reliance upon the Divine Will. Let them then to whom God has 
given increase, accept the trust at His hands in a proper spirit, de- 
termined to do their duty whatever betide, and there is not the 
slightest fear of the result. And let the maiden and her lover, and 
the wife and her husband, learn in the same spirit of love rnd meek- 
ness, relying on each other mutually for assistance, under heaven, 
in carrying out the precepts and instructions here laid down, and 
all will be well. 



554: OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 



PART VIII. 



COOKEEY FOE THE SlCK"R00M, 



Apple Tea. 

Take good pippins, slice them thin, pour on boiling water, and let 
it stand some time. Pour off the water, and sweeten and flavor it. 

Pour boiling water on to tamarinds, or mashed cranberries, or 
mashed whortle-berries, then pour off the water and sweeten it. 
Add a little wine if allowed. 

A palatable and cooling drink may be made by pouring hot water 
over slices of lemon ; when cold, to be strained and sweetened. 

Make a tea of parched corn pounded, and add sugar and cream. 

Toast-Water. 

Toast bread very brown, and put it in cold water, and it is often 
relished. Pour boiling water on to bread toasted very brown, and 
boil it a minute ; then strain it, and add a little cream and sugar. 

Wine Whey. 

Stir a couple of wineglasses of wine into a pint of boiling milk ; 
take it from the fire, and let it remain till the curd separates from 
the whey and settles ; then turn off the whey, and sweeten it with 
white sugar. 

Thickened Milk. 

Take one pint of milk and one pint of water; boil it, and add one 
table-spoonful of flour. 

Dissolve the flour first in half a teacupful of water; it must be 
strained in gradually, and boiled hard twenty minutes. As the child 



COOKERY FOR THE SICK-ROOM. 555 

grows older, one-third water. If properly made, it is the most nu- 
tritious, at the same time the most delicate food, that can be given 
to young children. 

Wheat-Balls. 

Tie half a pint of wheat flour in thick cotton, and boil it three or 
four hours ; then dry the lump, and grate it when you use it. Prepare 
a gruel of it bj making a thin paste, and pouring it into boiling 
milk and water, and flavor with salt. This is good for teething 
children. 

Chicken-Tea. 

Take off the skin and all the fat of the fowl, and boil it till very 
tender, with just sufficient water to cover it, and add a little salt. 
Take the chicken out of the liquor when boiled, and let the liquor 
remain till cold to let all the fat rise to the surface, which should 
then be skimmed off. The tea should be heated when given to the 
patient. It is a very delicate, nourishing food, and will set well on 
the stomach when so weak as to be able to retain but little food. 

Beef-Tea. 

Cut lean beef into small bits, fill a junk bottle with them, cork 
tight, put it into a pot of lukewarm water, and set the pot where the 
water will boil for four or five hours. A table-spoonful of this is as 
nourishing as half a pint of the tea made by boiling the meat. 

Mutton-Broth. 

Cut up one pound of lean mutton, add a pint and a half of luke- 
warm water, let it stand for one hour by the fire, then boil half an 
hour, and strain. If you add barley, one ounce is sufficient. 

Flaxseed-Tea. 

Take one ounce of whole flax-seed, two drachms of liquorice-root 
bruised, and one pint of boiling water. Place the vessel containing 
these ingredients near the fire, and keep warm, but not boiling, four 
hours ; then strain through a fine cloth. This is useful in coughs 
and urinary affections. 

Arrowroot-Gruel. 
Boil a pint of milk, and stir into it while boiling a large spoonful 
of arrowroot mixed smooth with a little cold milk ; then add a little 
salt, and let it boil three or four minutes. 



556 OUK FAMILY DOCTOR. 

Sago-Gruel. 

Cleanse it by first soaking it an hour in cold water, and then 
washing it in fresh water. To a teacupful add a quart of water and 
a bit of lemon-peel ; simmer it till the berries are clear, season with 
wine and spice, and boil it all up together. The sago may be boiled 
with milk instead of water, till reduced to one-half, and served with- 
out seasoning. 

Indian-Meal Gruel. 

Sift the Indian meal through a fine sieve ; wet two spoonfuls of 
this meal with cold water, and beat it till there are no lumps ; then 
stir into it a pint and a half of boiling water, and let it boil half an 
hour, stirring it all the time. Season it as liked best. 

Oatmeal-Gruel. 

Mix a dessert-spoonful of fine oatmeal or patent groats, in two of 
cold water ; add a pint of boiling water, and boil it ten minutes, 
keeping it stirred. 

Stir into the gruel a small piece of butter, and some sugar, nut 
meg, or ginger, grated ; or, if it be not sweetened, add a small pinch 
of salt. 

Ground Rice. 

Boil one spoonful of ground rice, rubbed down smooth, with a 
pint and a half of milk, a bit of cinnamon, lemon-peel, and nutmeg. 
Sweeten when nearly done. 

Strengthening Jelly. 

Simmer in two quarts of water, one ounce each of pearl barley, 
sago, rice, and eringo-root, till reduced to one quart. Take a tea- 
cupful in milk morning, noon, and night. 

Food for an Infant. 

Take of fresh cow's milk one table-spoonful, and mix with two 
table-spoonfuls of hot water; sweeten with loaf sugar, as much as 
may be agreeable. This quantity is sufficient for once feeding a 
new born infant ; and the same quantity may be given every two 
or three hours — not oftener — till the mother's breast affords the 
natural nourishment. 



INDICATIONS OF DISEASE. 557 



PART IX. 



Indications of Disease, 



THE COUNTENANCE. 

Tolerably clear indications of a person's state of health may gene- 
rally be read in the expression of the countenance. Where there is 
great anxiety depicted on this dial-plate of the internal organs, there 
is likely to be functional or organic disease of the heart, pneumonia, 
bronchitis, laryngitis, croup, chronic consumption, dropsy of the 
chest, causing a sense of oppression and impeded respiration. In 
fevers, and other acute forms of disease which shorten life, there is 
also this anxious expression, as well as in melancholia, hypochon- 
driasis, and to some extent in low forms of mania. 

When the countenance is livid and tinged with blood, there is 
impeded respiration and circulation, and probably congestion of the 
brain; this is the case in apoplexy, disease of the heart, effusion of 
the lungs, &c. A pale countenance is a sign of fainting, of anaemia, 
and haemorrhage, external or internal. When the expression is vio- 
lent and excited, there is probably the delirium of fever, inflamma- 
tion of the brain, mania, or delirium tremens. In paralysis, convul- 
sions, epilepsy, hysteria, and chorea, we have a distorted countenance ; 
and a flushed one is symptomatic of fever in general, and of the early 
stage of delirium tremens. Sometimes, in the latter stage of an in- 
curable disease, the face becomes what nurses call "struck with 
death," and to this hopeless corpse-like expression has been applied 
the term Fades Hippocratica, because it has been vividly pictured 
by Hippocrates himself. Here is his picture: " The forehead wrin- 
kled and dry, the eye sunken, the nose pointed and bordered with a 
dark or violet circle ; the temples sunken, hollow, and retired ; the 



558 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

ears sticking up, the lips hanging down, the cheeks sunken, the chin 
wrinkled and hard, the color of the skin leaden or violet ; the hair 
of the nose and eyelashes sprinkled with a yellowish white dust." 

THE TONGUE. 
With regard to the morbific appearances of the tongue, we may 
note that it is sometimes loaded, as it is termed, the upper surface 
being covered with a layer of mucous substance, which may be scraped 
off with a tongue-scraper. This indicates a foul stomach. In severe 
cases of dyspepsia this coating often becomes very thick and peels 
off, leaving the tongue red, moist, and tender. Sometimes the coat- 
ing is dark brown, resembling fibres, which admit of being separated 
by the fingers. It is then said to be furred, and this is symptomatic 
of great local irritation arising from inflammation. In feverish con- 
ditions of the system the tongue becomes very dry and hot, parched, 
as it is called; if clammy and viscid, there is usually derangement 
of the digestive functions ; a yellow tinge on the coating of the tongue 
indicates biliary disorder; a thin creamy white, inflammatory disease 
in the abdomen. In sore throat, we often find it of a dingy whitish 
color; in scarlatina, we have elongated papillae, presenting bright 
red spots ; and in some forms of intestinal irritation and haemorrhage, 
it is morbidly clean and red. In anaemic patients we find this organ 
partaking of the general condition of the system, being pale and 
flaccid ; in paralysis it is drawn on one side ; in delirium tremens, 
and nervous affections, it is tremulous ; and in low stages of fever it 
becomes almost black, and can not be protruded. Thus, to the in- 
structed eye the tongue affords a pretty sure indication of the state 
of the system, and is always consulted by physicians as a reliable 
authority. For The Eyes as symptomatic of Disease, see p. 116. 

THE FiECES. 

The faeces is the rejected residue of the food passed into the 
stomach after it has served the purposes of nutrition. According to 
to Berzelius, the normal constituents of the human faeces are as 
follows : — 

Water, 733 

Vegetable and Animal Remains, 7'0 

Bile, 0-9 

Albumen, 0*9 

Peculiar Extractive Matter, 2'7 

Salts, 1-2 

Slimy Matter, consisting of picromel, peculiar animal matter, 

and insoluble residue, 14*0 

100 



INDICATIONS OF DISEASE. 559 

This is the condition of the faeces when the health is perfect, and 
there is nothing very peculiar in the diet to render it otherwise. In 
diseases great changes take place, not only in the proportions, but 
even in the ingredients of which the faeces are composed. By their 
peculiarities of substance, smell, and color, the medical man is ena- 
bled in a great measure to judge of the nature and progress of the 
mischief going on within ; therefore it is of importance that they 
should be preserved for his inspection. The following are a few of 
their most obvious indications : — 

Natural motions are of a gingerbread- color, slightly varying in 
tint and hue, and of tolerable solidity of consistence, although per- 
fectly impressible. The smell is offensive, but has not that peculiar 
fcetidity which is observed in some diseased conditions of the system. 
The evacuation should be daily, and at or near a certain hour; but 
a deviation from this rule is no proof of ill health. We have known 
persons, in a perfectly healthy state, who only went to stool once in 
two, three, or four days, and even a week. It depends greatly upon 
habit, but such a habit is not good. Children should be taught to 
go at a certain hour every day, and the habit of a daily evacuation 
of the bowels once fixed, will probably remain through life, except 
when it is interfered with by sickness, or the failing powers which 
are often a consequence of old age. 

Mucous evacuations have a semi-transparent, jelly-like appearance. 
They may be tinged with brown, green, or yellow, all indicating the 
presence of bile ; or red with blood, when there is inflammation or 
congestion of the mucous membrane, as in mucous diarrhoea and 
dysentery. 

Lymphatic evacuations have a rough, shreddy, or spotty appear- 
ance. There may be little irregular round specks, like dirty white 
of egg, scattered through the faeces, or long pieces like shreds of 
lymph or dingy-colored parchment. In this case it is likely there 
may be acute inflammation of the mucous membrane of the intestines, 
the seat of which may be in any of the bowels, or merely the rectum. 
This, like the above, is a symptom of diarrhoea and dysentery. 

JPus in the faeces indicates either ulceration of the bowels, or the 
breaking of an internal abscess into the alimentary passages. If 
there is much of it, the latter is most likely the case. This is a dan- 
gerous symptom. 

Bile in the faeces indicates excessive action of the liver, the cause 
of which may be excessive irritation, or active congestion, — in which 



560 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

case the color is generally of a bright yellowish brown, but some- 
times, especially in children, it is of a decided green color. This, 
too, is often the case with grown persons, when the liver is just re- 
covering from a torpid state and beginning to act violently. This 
is commonly the case, too, in hydrocephalus, when the color is a 
peculiarly deep green. Bilious motions may or may not be loose, 
although they are generally so, from the bile acting as an irritant in 
the lining of the bowels. 

Absence of bile in the faeces is shown by absence of color. The 
motions are clayey, sometimes as pale as pipeclay, and ranging from 
that shade up to the natural hue, occasionally assuming a grayish 
tint. They vary in substance, and when liquid are usually frothy, 
and float upon water on account of the quantity of gas which they 
contain. 

Loose motions proceed from so many causes that we can not take 
them as clear indications of any particular diseases. They are always 
present where there is an irritated or inflamed state of the mucous 
membrane, as in diarrhoea, in some stages of which they become 
altogether watery. If, when in this state, they exhibit rice-like par- 
ticles, they indicate Asiatic cholera, or the too powerful action of 
saline or drastic purgatives. 

Solid motions, when too much so, indicate constipation. 

Offensive motions occur in dyspepsia, especially those forms of it 
which are associated with hypochondriasis. The fcetor is excessive 
in low fevers, when the poison introduced into the system seems to 
render the whole of the solids and fluids thereof peculiarly liable to 
decomposition. 

EXPE CTOR ATION. 

This is, first, the act of discharging mucous or other matter from 
the lungs or trachea; and second, the substances so discharged. 
The term in its first meaning is synonymous with coughing, and 
need not farther occupy our attention ; but in its second, we find 
so many important considerations connected with the diagnosis of 
disease, that we must pause awhile to consider it. It is by the na- 
ture of the expectoration that the physician is enabled to judge of 
the character and progress of the malady with which he has to con- 
tend. If this be frothy, it indicates active bronchitis, catarrh, or 
influenza; if stringy, and of a whitish or yellowish color, the bron- 
chitis has become chronic, or spasmodic, or there may be hooping- 



INDICATIONS OF DISEASE. 561 

cough present or impending ; if purulent, it may indicate the latter 
stages of catarrh or influenza, especially if the sputa, or matter spat 
up, is mixed more or less with a tenacious mucus ; genuine pus, 
capable of being poured from one vessel to another, indicates the 
bursting of a vomica on the lungs, or of the matter of the empyema 
having found its way into the bronchial passages ; the yellow matter 
often exj^ectorated in humeral asthma is not truly purulent, but to 
a large extent mucous. If lumpy, there can be no mistake as to the 
nature of the disease: pulmonary consumption has fairly set in, and 
made considerable advances ; there is sure to be a softening and 
breaking up of tubercles, where there are small yellowish or whitish 
lumps expectorated along with the clearer fluid on which they float, 
perfectly distinct. If membraneous, the sputa indicates inflamma- 
tory action of a chronic, most likely of a croupy character. If stringy 
and rusty-colored, there is certainly pneumonia; if bloody, there is 
hemoptysis, — either a blood-vessel on the lungs has broken, or blood 
has oozed through the bronchial membrane, both of which are symp- 
toms of a very diseased state of the tissues, and indicative of great 
danger to the patient. If offensive and putrid, there may be gan- 
grene of the lungs, but this is only a single sign, and not to be 
relied on alone. 

These are the chief distinctive characters which expectoration 
assumes, and its increase or decrease in bulk or density, its varieties 
of tint, and other particular changes, tell to the experienced eye of 
the doctor how the case progresses, and whether it is likely to ter- 
minate in convalescence or death. 

THE TEMPERAMENTS. 

In physiology temperament has been defined as a peculiar organ- 
ization of the system common to several individuals, which to a cer- 
tain extent influences the thoughts and actions. There is, besides, 
in each individual a further peculiarity of organization which serves 
to distinguish his temperament from that of another person, to whom, 
however, he may in other respects bear a great resemblance. This 
individual temperament is called Idiosyncracy. 

Four temperaments were distinguished by the old physicians, 
founded on the notion of four qualities which entered into the con- 
stitution of man, and were supposed to temper each other, and in- 
fluence the character, according as one or other prevailed over the 
rest. These qualities were, in the abstract — hot, cold, dry, moist; 



562 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

in the concrete — fire, air, earth, and water ; and their highest point 
of development was — 

1. The Sanguine, or Sanguineous Temperament, supposed to be 
characterized by a full habit, soft skin, ruddy complexion, blue eyes, 
red or auburn hair, frequent pulse, large veins, and vivid sensa- 
tions. 

2. The Atrabilious, or Melancholic Temperament, described as 
existing in a thinner but firmer frame than the preceding, with a 
dark complexion, black hair, and a slower circulation, a nervous sys- 
tem less easily moved, and a character grave and meditative. 

3. The Bilious, or Choleric Temperament, intermediate between 
the two preceding, marked by black curling hair, dark eyes, a 
swarthy, and at the same time ruddy complexion; a thick, rough, 
hairy skin ; and a strong, full pulse. 

4. The Phlegmatic, or Pituitous Temperament. This differs from 
all the rest, in the laxity of the skin, the lighter color of the hair, 
and the greater sluggishness of the faculties. Without keeping to 
the old theory, modern physiologists to a certain extent adopt these 
terms, to which they have added — 

5. The Nervous Temperament, marked by a combination of some 
of the above characteristics, with a quick and brilliant intellect, and 
great susceptibility. 

Not often do these temperaments occur in a pure form. We meet 
with the indications of two, or even three, of them mingled in one 
person, — whom, therefore, we must call nervous-sanguine, or nervous- 
bilious-sanguine, as the case may be. 

Viewing temperament as a predisposing cause of disease, we may 
say that sanguine persons are more liable to acute inflammation than 
others ; nervous, to mental disorders and affections of the nerves ; 
phlegmatic, to scrofula ; phlegmatico-sanguine, to gout ; and bilious, 
to hypochondria, and disorders of the digestive organs. 

IDIOSYNCRACY. 

In most individuals there are certain mental or bodily peculiarities, 
which we term Icliosyncracies / and these, to a certain extent, shape 
and fashion the life and mode of thought, and greatly influence the 
state of health. In reference to the latter subject, when we say 
that a man has a predisposition to gout or gravel, we allude to one 
of his idiosyncracies, and we speak of the gouty or other state of 



INDICATIONS OF DISEASE. 563 

that man as his Diathesis. What are commonly called antipathies, 
are the peculiar result of states and conditions of the system, to 
which the above terms may be properly applied ; and it is impossible 
to affix any assignable cause for these, nor can the medical man be 
aware of them until he has noticed them in their effects, or been 
fully informed of them by the patient or his friends. 

To some persons a particular odor is perfectly unbearable ; others 
can not abide a certain sound: the sight of an insect, or other ani- 
mal not obnoxious to most people, will make this or that person 
ready to faint away, and fill the mind with a nameless dread. 
These are idiosyncracies, such as Shylock, in Shakspeare's tragedy 
of "The Merchant of Venice," alludes to — 

" Some men there are love not a gaping pig ; 
Some that go mad if they behold a cat," &c. 

Then there are those in whom certain medicines produce an extra- 
ordinary and altogether unusual effect. We have known a few grains 
of any mercurial preparation, which would have little or no effect 
upon systems generally, salivate a person; and food pleasant and 
wholesome to most, act like a poison. Again, we have seen a particu- 
lar drug produce a totally different effect from the common one, such 
as an opiate producing restlessness instead of sleep, and always doing 
this, when administered; for we must distinguish between what are 
permanent constitutional idiosyncracies, and anomalous conditions 
of the system which arise from temporary causes. Individuals are 
often met with who are, in every other respect, perfectly healthy, and 
who have yet one or more of these peculiarities, which may perhaps 
be referred to some dietary or other error in himself or his ancestors ; 
for it is curious to observe how they are sometimes handed down 
from generation to generation. 



564 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

MATERIA MEDICA. 

Applied to that branch of the healing art which relates to the nature and opera- 
tions of medicines ; these remedial agents may be divided into : I Natural, or 
those which are found ready prepared by nature ; they may be either simple or 
compound, organic or inorganic, the former belonging to the animal or vegetable 
kingdom, the latter to the mineral. II. Artificial, or those which have been modi- 
fied by addition or subtraction of some of their parts ; these are called Pharma- 
ceutical preparations, and belong to the department of chemistry. 

The greater part of the substances used in pharmacy are taken from the vegetable 
world ; leaves, flowers, barks, seeds and roots, are all used. Much of their pro- 
perties are lost by gathering them out of season, and improperly curing them. 
As a general rule, the herbs used in pharmacy should be collected when they are 
beginning to flower, in dry weather, and at mid-day, when the greatest quantity 
of moisture has evaporated. They should then be subjected to a gentle heat, 
spread out thin, and frequently turned, to complete the drying process as quickly 
as possible ; the leaves, or whatever part it is desired to preserve, should be put 
into bags, and hung up in a dark place until wanted ; before drying in this way, 
the plants should be well shaken, to expel insects and their eggs, and all dis- 
colored and rotton portions rejected. 

The roots of annual plants are in the best condition for gathering before flowering. 

The roots of biennial plants should be collected, after their first year's growth, 
in the fall. 

The roots of perennial plants should be gathered before budding, in the spring. 



HINTS ON ADMINISTERING MEDICINES. 

It behoves us to lay down a few simple rules with regard to the administering 
of medicines. We all know how difficult it is, with children especially, to over- 
come the disgust occasioned by the nauseous taste of most medicines ; this often 
amounts to such utter loathing, that the remedy, if it can be swallowed, is rejected 
by the stomach, and thus cannot prove effective. It is, therefore, desirable to 
render medicines as palatable and pleasant as possible and to administer them at 
such times, and with such precautions at shall render their retention and action 
most probable ; for adults, who can swallow pills, this is the easiest and best mode 
of taking such remedies as will go in a small compass. For children generally 
they are unsuitable, and draughts or powders must be given to them, unless, as is 
now often the case, medicated cakes or lozenges, containing the remedies which 
their cases require, can be procured. 

The best vehicle for children's powders which contain any heavy substance, is su- 
gar moistened just a little, or honey, or molasses, or gum ; it must be some thick sub- 
stance or the powder will fall to the bottom, and so not be taken. Powders with rhu- 
barb, magnesia, or any light substance, may be mixed up thin and drank ; apiece of 
sugar with a few drops of essence of peppermint on it, or a strong peppermint lozenge 
will get rid of the unpleasam taste perhaps sooner than anything else ; those who ob- 
ject to this should chew a piece of dried orange peel both before and after swallowing 
the medicine. Aperients are best taken on an empty stomach, so are vermifuges ; 
tonics should be taken an hour or so before meals, except preparations of iron, 
which are best an hour after meals ; emetics are commonly directed to be taken 
in the evening, because after their operation, the patient may rest awhile. Stimu- 
lants, of course, may be taken at any time when required ; opiates always at bed- 
time, that their action may not be interrupted ; unless it be a case of spasm or vio- 
lent pain which calls for instant relief. Strong purgatives are best taken in the 
morning ; at night they would disturb the rest, and cause great inconvenience. 
All these, of course, are but general rules, to which there are numerous pxceptions. 
The discreet mother or nurse will know when they are to be strictly followed, and 
when departed from. 



MEDICINES, THEIR PREPARATIONS, ETC. 565 



PART X. 



Medicines.— Their Preparations and Doses. 
—Prescriptions— Receipts. 



TINCTURES. 

Tinctures are spirituous solutions of such of the principles of 
animal or vegetable substances as are soluble in rectified or in proof 
spirit. Rectified spirit is the proper menstruum of the resins, essential 
oils, saccharine matter, etc., of vegetables, and generally of those 
parts of animal bodies in which their peculiar smell and taste reside. 
Proof spirit likewise takes upon these partially, and is, besides, the 
proper menstruum for gummy principles. Tinctures are chiefly used 
in cases where stimulants are indicated, on account of the spirit which 
they contain. Tinctures are usually prepared by macerating the ma- 
terials for forty-eight hours (some substances require seven days) in 
three-fourths of the menstruum ordered, in a close vessel, with occa- 
sional agitation; then decant the liquid, pack carefully the solid in- 
gredients in a percolator, pour over them the decanted liquid, add 
the remainder of the spirit, remove and press the ingredients, and 
add, if necessary, sufficient spirit to make up the quantity. 

DECOCTIONS. 

The extraction of the soluble portions of plants by boiling. It is 
generally performed in a covered vessel. When the menstruum is 
valuable, as alcohol, a retort and a receiver, or the common still, may 
be used to condense and preserve the vapors that would otherwise 
escape. It is more powerful than infusion by reason of the increased 
temperature, and is employed to extract the mucilaginous parts of 



566 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

plants, their bitterness, and other vegetable principles. It is not 
suitable, however, where the virtues of the plants depend wholly or 
in part on the essential oil or volatile principles which they contain. 

INFUSIONS. 

Infusion is a solution of some of the principles of vegetables, gen- 
erally in water, but sometimes in other vehicles. Either hot or cold 
water may be employed, according to the particular infusion re- 
quired. The digestion, however, must be longer when cold water is 
used. The vegetable substances may be either fresh or dried ; when 
fresh, they must be cut in pieces, and when dry, bruised or coarsely 
powdered. Water is then poured on the substance employed, and 
allowed to stand in a covered vessel for a space of time varying with 
the nature of the vegetable matter. It is afterwards strained, and is 
then fit for use. Infusions are liable to spoil soon, especially when 
made with warm water, or if the substance be of a fermentable na- 
ture. To assist in keeping the infusion, or to increase its powers, 
alcohol is sometimes added after straining. Wholesale chemists are 
now accustomed to prepare concentrated infusions for the use of gen- 
eral practitioners. These can be diluted to the ordinary strength at 
the time of using them, and not only possess the advantage of keep- 
ing better, but save much trouble and loss of time. 

PILLS. 

This is a very convenient form of administering medicines, espe- 
cially such as are very active in their properties and nauseous in fla- 
vor, as they can be swallowed without tasting. To prepare them it 
is only necessary to rub down the ingredients into a finely pulverized 
state, and add sufficient of some tenacious liquid to form a homoge- 
neous mass, which can be easily divided and rolled into pills. To ef- 
fect this a pestle and mortar is required ; it should be of metal, as 
the mass generally requires beating to assimilate the ingredients prop- 
erly ; a short, stout spatula, or palette knife, and a slab of marble or 
glazed porcelain — if marked with divisions it is so much the more 
convenient, as pill machines are expensive and scarcely necessary in 
domestic practice. 

The machines are generally made to cut and roll 24 pills, and the 
the sizes for which they are intended range from 3 to 5 grains ; the 
former is the most convenient for swallowing, and it is better to take 
two of such than one large pill, which is likely to stick in the throat 
and to remain for a long time undissolved when it is down. Gener- 



MEDICINES, THEIR PREPARATIONS, ETC. 567 

ally speaking, a sufficient quantity of active ingredients is required to 
make them of moderate size ; but sometimes it is desirable to admin- 
ister very powerful medicines, such as calomel, morphia, etc., in this 
way, and then it is usual to give bulk and consistence by the addition 
of such comparatively inert substances as bread crumb, castile soap, 
soft extract of liquorice, or conserve of roses. When bread is used 
it should be quite stale, so that it will rub down into a powder and 
amalgamate with the other ingredients. Pills made with bread and 
mucilage are apt to become very hard, and are therefore only fit for 
present use. Pills made with molasses or conserve remain soft as 
long as any. If hard soap is used, it should be scraped into the mor- 
tar first, and rubbed into a powder. Soft soap is better than hard, 
but glycerine — better still — has latterly been much employed. For 
pill-mass intended to be kept for a time, a few drops of olive or other 
fixed oil is sometimes added to prevent the mass hardening. If res- 
inous gums, such as scammony, enter into the composition of the pills, 
the necessary moisture may be spirit of wine, which, by dissolving a 
portion of the resin, will give cohesion to the compound substance ; 
but this is apt to get hard after a while. It is best to keep pills in 
stoppered bottles ; if much exposed to the air they soon harden, and 
become to a certain extent inert, because insoluble. If kept in pots 
they should be closely covered ; boxes are the worst possible recep- 
tacles for them. Some persons can take pills very easily, others only 
with great difficulty, and some few not at all. The best method is 
to hold the head back, take the pill between the finger and thumb, 
and passing these as far into the throat as possible, drop it into the 
pharynx, swallowing immediately some water or other liquid to carry 
it down. As a rule, the best time for taking pills is bedtime ; when 
the body is quiescent their operation is less interfered with. Of 
course there are many cases which require their administration at all 
times and seasons. Owing to their compactness and portability there 
is no form of medical preparation so convenient as this. 

POWDERS. 

Powder is a very common form in which medicines are adminis- 
tered, particularly to children. Some medicines are best given in the 
form of powder, in order that their distinctive properties may be 
most easily brought out. Powders may be either simple or com- 
pound, consisting of one substance or of several. The several ingre- 
dients should be very finely powdered and well mixed. In general, 



568 



OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 



powders should be given in some thick substance, as honey, molasses, 

or gum. 

ANTI-ACIDS, OR ABSORBENTS. 

Anti-acids are medicines intended to correct acidity of the stom- 
ach and bowels ; their action is purely chemical ; they combine with 
the acid and neutralize it, but do nothing to prevent its regen- 
eration ; therefore they are simply palliatives, and cannot be depended 
upon for restoring the tone of the impaired organs, whose powers a 
long continuance of them is apt to enfeeble. Ammonia, chalk, lime, 
and all cretaceous matter, magnesia, and the alkalines potash and 
soda are the chief anti -acids or absorbents These are many forms of 
preparations, but the action is pretty uniform. Ammonia in its va- 
rious combinations, where acidity in the stomach exists with flatu- 
lency and tendency to cramp or colic. Magnesia and the prepara- 
tions of chalk or lime are best when acid is present in the bowels, 
causing loose evacuations, griping pains, etc., and this because they 
pass down the alimentary canal and into the seat of mischief without 
losing their absorbent powers. Where an alkaline test shows acidity 
in the urine, preparations of potash are most suitable for administra- 
tion, as they are more readily soluble than soda, which, in combina- 
tion with ginger, may be recommended for the unpleasant sensation 
in the chest and throat called heartburn, that being the result of ex- 
cessive acidity. 

(the doses aee for adults.) 

In most cases, emetics and aperients are given previous to their 
being taken. They are : 



Ammonia, carbonate, in doses from 

Ammonia, liquor of 

Ammonia, aromatic spirit of 

Lime water 

Magnesia, calcined . 

Magnesia, carbonate of 

Potass, carbonate of 

Potass, solution of . 

Soda, carbonate of . 

Soda water 



5 grains to 1 scruple. 

10 to 20 drops. 

20 to 30 drops. 

2 ounces to half a pint. 

20 to 40 grains. 

half to 2 drachms. 

10 grains to half a drachm. 

10 drops to half a drachm. • 

10 grains to half a drachm. 



half a pint. 
ALTERATIVES. 
Alteratives are a class of medicines whose object it is to effect a 
gradual change in the state and condition of the functions, secretions, 
etc., and establish the healthy habit which has somehow become de- 
ranged. 



MEDICINES, THEIR PREPARATIONS, ETC. 569 

An alterative medicine, then, is supposed to be one which produces 
a new effect, and thus alters or diverts the attention of the system, if 
we may so speak, from the original disease ; it is generally directed, 
or intended to act upon the immediate seat of mischief, as the liver, the 
blood, etc. Small doses and frequent is the general rule with regard 
to the administration of alteratives, and in this way some of our 
most active and even poisonous drugs are employed to produce very 
beneficial results. It is properly through the medium of the excre- 
tions and secretions that alteratives act ; they are taken from all classes 
of medicines, mineral as well as vegetable. 

ANODYNES. 

Anodynes are medicines which assuage pain ; generally opiates, or 
narcotics. These medicines act by diminishing sensibility and in- 
ducing sleep, or a state of stupor, which is near akin to it. 

PILLS. 

Purified opium 4 grains. 

Extract of henbane 15 grains. 

Extract of lettuce 10 grains. 

Mix. Make into 6 pills, take one at bed time for long- continued cough 

PILLS OP MORPHIA. 

Sulphate of morphia 3 grains. 

Conserve of roses sufficient to mix. 

Dose, one pill when necessary. 

CAMPHOR PILLS. 

Camphor half a drachm. 

Gum and alcohol sufficient to mix. 

Divide into 15 pills, dose 1 every two hours. Excellent to allay nervous irrita- 
bility, and to act on the skin. 

HENBANE PTLLS. 

Extract of henbane half a scruple. 

Powdered liquorice root sufficient to make 10 pills. Give one or two to procure 
sleep, ease pain, and allay irritation arising from a tickling cough. 

MIXTURES 
To quiet the nervous system and allay irritability, 

Bromide of potassium .1 drachm. 

Syrup of orange peel 3 ounces. 

Water 3 ounces. 

Mix. Dose 1 to 3 tablespoonfuls. 

HENBANE DRAUGHT. 

Tincture of henbane 1 drachm. 

Camphor water 2 ounces. 

Mix. To be taken at once, at bed time, repeated in two hours if the patient 
does not sleep. 



570 



OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 



FOXGLOVE MIXTURE. 

Tincture of purple foxglove 3 drachms. 

Camphor water 6 ounces. 

Orange syrup half ounce 

Prussic acid 6 drops. 

Mix. Dose, two tablespoonfuls two or three times a day. A good remedy for 
nervous palpitations, but must be used with great care. 

LETTUCE MIXTURE. 

Tincture of lettuce 6 drachms. 

Distilled water 6 drachms. 

"Water of cherry laurel ...... 2 drachms. 

Simple syrup 1£ ounce. 

Mix. Dose, a tablespoonful morning and evening. 

MIXTURE FOR INFLUENZA, COLD, COUGH, BRONCHITIS, ETC. 

Camphor water 5 ounces. 

Sweet spirit of nitre 2 drachms 

Tincture of opium 4 drops. 

Syrup of poppies 4 drachms. 

Mix, and take two tablespoonfuls every four hours. 

CLYSTER. 

Tincture of opium ...... 1 drachm. 

Infusion of linseed 6 ounces. Mix. 

POULTICE. 

Dried hemlock leaves 2 ounces. 

Crumb of bread ..*.... 6 ounces. 

Water half a pint. 

Boil together ; used in foul ulcers, etc. 

DRAUGHT. 

Tincture of opium 10 drops. 

Syrup of poppies 2 drachms. 

Spirit of cinnamon 1 drachm. 

Water 1 ounce. 

This is taken on the approach of the warm stage in bronchitis, ague, and inter- 
mittent fevers. 

CATHARTICS, APERIENTS, LAXATIVES, PURGATIVES. 

These are different terms for purging medicines. A laxative or 
aperient only acts as a mild purge in emptying the bowels, whereas 
a purgative not only so acts, but affects the whole system ; and, when 
very violent, it is denominated a cathartic or drastic. Examples of 
excellent combinations of these medicines : 

CATHARTIC TILLS. 

Compound extract of colocynth .... 1 drachm. 

Extract of henbane 6 grains. 

Oil of nutmeg 4 drops. 



MEDICINES, THEIR PREPARATIONS, ETC. 571 

Well mix together, and divide into twelve pills ; take two every two or three 
hours till effective. 

APEEIENT DEAUGHT. 

Epsom salts 3 drachms. 

Spearmint water 3 ounces. 

Antimonial wine 20 drops. 

Mix, and take for a dose early in the morning. 

LAXATIVE MIXTURE. 

Sulphate of magnesia, or Epsom salts . . . half an ounce. 

Sulphate of iron 5 grains. 

Camphor mixture 3 ounces. 

Two or three tablespoonfuls twice a day. 

FOE THE PAINTEE'S COLIC. 

Castor oil half an ounce. 

Yolk of egg sufficient quantity. 

Beat up and then add, 

Syrup of poppies 2 drachms. 

Tincture of opium 5 drops. 

Distilled water 8 ounces. 

Make a draught to be taken ever three or four hours. 

ANTISEPTICS. 

These prevent putrefaction. They are the tonics, as Peruvian 
bark, myrrh, alum, camomile, etc., which can be generally used for 
those of relaxed habits. The refrigerating, as acids, given to the 
young and plethoric. The stimulating, as wine and alcohol, for the 
old and debilitated. The anti-spasmodic, as assafcetida and camphor, 
for the irritable and hysterical. 

ELECTUAEY IN SCUEVY. 

Bark, powdered half an ounce. 

Aromatic confection half an ounce. 

Syrup of oranges sufficient quantity. 

Mix, take the size of a nutmeg every quarter of an hour, in a glass of Seidlitz or 
soda water. 

SCURVY IN THE GUMS. 

Infusion of roses ....*.. 6 drachms. 

Alum half a drachm. 

Honey 1 drachm. 

Mix and make into a gargle. 

GAEGLE IN PUTEID SOEE THEOAT. 

Decoction of bark 6 ounces. 

Muriatic acid half a drachm. 

Tincture of orange peel ...*.. 5 drachms. 
Tincture of myrrh 1 drachm. Mix. 



572 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

ANOTHER. 

Decoction of bark 6 ounces. 

Tincture of myrrh 2 ounces. 

Diluted sulphuric acid half a drachm. 

Mix for a gargle. 

ANTI-SPASMODICS. 

Spasms are involuntary contractions of the mucles ; when from irri- 
tation, narcotics are best ; as opium, camphor, and ether ; when from 
debility, tonics ; as zinc, mercury, and Peruvian bark. But the so- 
called true anti-spasm o dies are musk, castor, ammonia, assafoetida, 
valerian, etc. 

ANTI-HYSTERIC MIXTURE. 

Take assafoetida, 1 drachm ; and gradually mix well with 

Peppermint water half a pint. 

Aromatic spirit of ammonia, or sal volatile . . 2 drachms. 

Tincture of castor 3 drachms. 

Sulphuric ether, compound of .... 1 drachm. 
Strain and take a tablespoonful every two hours. 

MIXTURE IN CONVULSIVE OB, WHOOPING COUGH. 

Tincture of opium .6 drops. 

Ipecauanha wine ...... 1 drachm. 

Simple syrup 3 drachms. 

Carbonate of soda 24 grains. 

Water 1 ounce. 

This mixture may be given in whooping cough, the sixth part every six hours for 
a child five or six years old. 

DRAUGHT IN PALIPITATION OF THE HEART, WITH GREAT NERVOUS 

IRRITABILITY. 

Tincture of foxglove 10 drops. 

Camphor mixture 1 ounce. 

Tincture of columba 1 drachm. 

To be taken twice a day. 

DRAUGHT IN HYSTERIA AND WINDY COLIC. 

Camphor mixture 1 ounce. 

Foetid spirit of ammonia 1 drachm. 

AROMATICS. 
Aromatic medicines are useful to ally irritation of the stomach and 
bowels, and to remove flatulency. 

AROMATIC STOMACH PILLS. 

Powdered alloes 6 drachms. 

Gum guiacum 4 '" 

Aromatic confection 2 " 

Balsam of Peru 2 " 

Syrup of ginger . sufficient. 

Mix. Make into 200 pills. Dose, 1 twice a day. 



MEDICINES, THEIR PREPARATIONS, ETC. 



573 



POWDER 
for expelling wind and alleviating spasms. 

Cinnamon 1 ounce. 

Cardamon seeds 1 " 

Ginger 1 " 

Cayenne .... .... 2 " 

Mix. Dose, a teasponful in a little hot water sweetened. 

AROMATIC SPIRITS OF ETHER, 
for spasms, flatulency, asthma, hysteria. 
Bruised cinnamon . 
Powdered cardamon seeds 
Cayenne 
Sliced ginger 
Spirit of sulphuric ether 
Digest for 14 days, then distil 



6 drachms. 
3 
1 
1 

1 quart. 
Dose, 30 drops to teaspoonful. 



ASTBLPTGExTTS. 

These, when applied to the body, make the solids denser and 
firmer ; they diminish excessive discharges, and often lessen morbid 
sensibility or irritation, and may thus restore strength. 

ASTRINGENT OINTMENT. 

Galls in powder 1 drachm. 

Hog's lard, prepared 1 ounce. 

Smear on the part in piles, etc. 

DRAUGHT EOR UTERINE AND OTHER BLEEDINGS. 

Muriated tincture of iron 10 drops. 

Water 1 ounce. 

Take every three hours. 

Alum whey, made by adding two drachms of pounded alum to a pint of hot 
milk, and a wine glassful taken every two or three hours, is a safe and powerful 
astringent given in internal bleedings, female discharges, etc. 

PILLS FOR SPITTING OF BLOOD, INTERNAL BLEEDINGS, ETC. 

Acetate of lead 3 grains. 

Purified opium 1 grain. 

Extract of hemlock 10 grains. 

Make three pills, one to be taken twice a day, drink after them vinegar and 
water. 

INEJCTIONS FOR WHITES AND DISCHARGES IN FEMALES WHEN THE 
PARTS ARE IRRITABLE. 

Oak bark, bruised 6 drachms. 

Distilled water 10 ounces. 

Boil ten minutes, then use four ounces mixed with four ounces of linseed in- 
fusion. 



574 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

CARMINATIVES. 

These medicinese ease pain and dispel wind. 

DRAUGHT FOR FLATULENCY AND INDIGESTION. 

Rind of Seville oranges 3 drachms. 

Fresh lemon peel ...... 2 drachms. 

Ginger, in powder half a drachm. 

Boiling water 8 ounces. 

1 Infuse two hours and strain ; then take 

Of the above half an ounce. 

Spirit of peppermint ...... half a drachm. 

Spirit of lavender ...... half a drachm. 

This draught to be taken three times a day. 

ANTI-FLATULENT MIXTURE. 

Oil of anise seeds 10 drops. 

Refined sugar 1 drachm. 

Beat up together, and add 

Tincture of ginger 2 drachms. 

Peppermint water 6 ounces. 

Mix. Take three tablespoonfuls as often as required. 

FOR WIND IN THE INTESINES, 
Particularly the colon, which distends them. 

Assafcetida 6 grains. 

Rhubarb . 4 grains. 

Oil of anise seeds 5 drops. 

Make two pills, and take every five or six hours. 

CERATES. 

Cerates are for the purpose of covering and keeping clean ulcers, 
wounds, burns, etc. They differ from ointments by having more wax 
in them. 

CALAMINE CERATES. 

Prepared calamine 4 ounces. 

Yellow wax 4 ounces. 

Olive oil * . 8 ounces. 

Shred the wax, pour on the oil, let them melt over a slow fire ; when sufficiently 
cool stir in the powdered calamine. This is applied to ulcers and wounds where 
the skin is broken ; to burns and scalds after the pain and violence of the inflam- 
mation have ceased. With half a drachm of the soft extract of opium, to an ounce 
of the cerate, it is employed to gently smear the eyelids in ophthalmia tarsi. When 
a teaspoonful of the Goulard lotion is mixed with this cerate, it forms the common 
application of many eminent physicians to scalds and burns. 

COMPOUND CERATE OF LEAD 

Acetate of lead 2 ounces. 

Yellow wax 4 ounces. 

Olive oil . 9 ounces. 

Camphor •••••••. half an ounce. 



MEDICINES, THEIR PREPARATIONS, ETC 575 

With a little oil the camphor is rubbed down. The remainder of the oil and wax 
gently melted near a fire, and the lead stirred in ; when nearly cold, the oil with the 
camphor is added, and stirred till cold. This is used in burns and scalds, and to 
prevent that constant flowing of tears in aged people. 

CLYSTERS. 

This mode of administering purgatives in many instances is far su- 
perior to any other, as it does not unnecessarily stimulate the whole 
of the bowels, and render them feeble and unhealthy, so as to require 
constant attention ; besides, in some states of the body, the stomach 
will not retain the requisite medicine. There are diseases, such as 
lockjaw, some forms of insanity, etc., in wbich nourishment has in 
this manner to be conveyed to the body. 

FOR DYSENTERY, VIOLENT PURGING, PAINS IN THE LOWER BOWELS, ETC. 

Starch 8 ounces or a pint 

Tincture of opium 40 to 60 drops 

L AXATI VE APERIENT . 

Epsom salts 1 ounce. 

Thin gruel, warm 1 pint. 

Fresh butter, or olive oil 1 ounce. 

ASTRINGENT IN PILES, ETC. 

Galls, powdered half an ounce. 

Distilled water 1-J- pint. 

Boil down to a pint and strain ; administer warm. 
IN STONE ; STOPPAGE OF URINE ; IRRITABILITY OF BLADDER ; LOCKJAW, ETC. 

Turpentine, spirit of ..... . half an ounce. 

Infusion of linseed one to two pints. 

The yolk of an egg mix together. 

Administer warm. 

IN SPASMODIC COMPLAINTS. 

Tincture of assafoetida half an ounce. 

Tincture of opium 20 to 40 drops. 

Thin gruel one to two pints. 

A COMPOUND GIVEN IN STUPOR, ETC., FROM INJURIES TO THE HEAD OR 

SPINE. 

Extract of colocynth 1 scruple to £ drachm. 

Boiling water one pint. 

Common salt ....... half an ounce. 

NUITRITIVE, TO BE REPEATED EVERY SIX HOURS. 

Milk, mutton, broth, starch, etc 6 ounces. 

Warm water 4 ounces. 

DEMULCENTS. 
Medicines which have softening and soothing properties ; render- 
ing them especially suitable for obviating the action of acrid and 



576 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

stimulant matters, not so much by correcting or changing their na- 
ture, as by involving them or the delicate tissue exposed to their 
action, in a mild and viscid fluid. Their chief employment is in ca- 
tarrh, diarrhoea, gonorrhoea, dysentery, gravel stone, etc. They may 
generally be divided into two divisions, mucilages, and expressed oils; 
in the first, we have almonds, coltsfoot, Arabic and several other 
gums, linseeds, mallows, liquorice-root, swinewort, barley, oats, and 
wheat, sago and starch. Among the latter are most European and 
many foreign oils, fat, and other animal substances, including harts- 
horn shavings, gelatine and isinglass, spermaceti and wax. The fol- 
lowing is a pleasant and efficacious demulcent draught, suitable where 
there is fever : Almond mixture 1 ounce, carbonate of potash 10 
grains, syrup of poppies 1 drachm ; mix and add a tablespoonful of 
lemon juice or 10 grains of citric acid, and drink while in a state of 
effervescence. As a form for a cough mixture, easily prepared, take 
oil of almonds 6 drachms, liquor of potash 1 drachm, shake well and 
make up to 8 ounces with rose or plain water ; sweeten with syrup 
of poppies and add paragoric elixir, 2 drachms, or tincture of squills, 
if required to be more expectorant. The best demulcent enema is 
made by dissolving 6 drachms of starch in a half-a-pint of hot water, 
add 1 drachm of tincture of opium is necessary. 

DIAPHORETICS. 

These are medicines that cause perspiration ; the action being in- 
creased' by being in bed, remaining in the warm atmosphere of a 
room, or placing the feet in hot water. 

DIAPHOEETIC POWDEE. 

Compound powder of ipecacuanha ... 10 grains. 

Powder of antimony 5 grains. 

Take at bed time, in some warm liquid or gruel. 

POWDEE. 

Ipecacuanha powder 2 grains. 

Purified opium half a grain. 

Nitrate of potass or saltpetre .... 10 grains. 

Take at bed time in a severe attack of influenza or bronchitis, in gruel. 

TONIC AND DIAPHOEETIC MIXTUEE, FOE EHEUMATISM AND LUMBAGO. 

Guaiacum. powder of. 2 drachms. 

Gum arabic 2 drachms. 

Pound well together, then add, 

Tincture of opium 30 drops. 

Tincture of bark 2 drachms. 

Comphor water '. . , , , 8 ounces. 

A wine-glassful twice a day. 



MEDICINES, THEIR PREPARATIONS, ETC. 577 

IN CONTINUED RHEUMATISM, ETC. 

Gum guaiacum, in powder 5 grains. 

Compound powder of ipecacuanha, or Dover's powder 10 grains. 

Honey a sufficient quantity to make a bolus . 
Take at bed time. 

DRAUGHT TO PRODUCE PERSPIRATION" IN COLDS, INFLUENZA, ETC. 

Camphor mixture ."...".. 1 ounce. 

Liquid acetate of ammonia ..... half a drachm. 

Antimony wine 20 drops. 

Paragoric elixir . ...... . . . 2 drachms. 

To be taken at bed time. 

SPIRIT OF MINDERERUS. 
Solution of Acetate of Ammonia. 

Good pure vinegar. 6 ounces. 

Muriate of ammonia {sal ammoniac) . . . sufficient quantity 
Drop the powder very slowly into the vinegar, in an open vessel, and continue 
adding, until the effervescence becomes scarcely perceptible. 

This is an excellent diaphoretic in fevers. Care must be taken to 
stop adding the powder before the effervescence has entirely ceased ; 
for the decomposition of the salt goes on slowly towards the conclu- 
sion of the process, and it is better that the acid in the mixture should 
be in very slight excess. If the solution be kept in a vial, it should 
be left open for a few hours before corking. Dose, for an adult, a 
tablespoonful or two, taken every two or three fours. 

DIURETICS. 

Medicines which augment the urinary discharge ; this effect will 
be produced by any substance which stimulates the secreting vessels 
of the kidneys. All the saline diuretics act in this way ; they pass 
into the circulation, and appear to exert a specific action upon these 
vessels. The free drinking of mild diluents will also have this ef- 
fect, while the application of external heat to the body will exert a 
contrary influence by exciting perspiration, which is an increased 
cutaneous secretion. Diuretics are useful as adjuncts chiefly; their 
action alone is not to be depended on for the cure of disease ; they 
are merely palliatives. Thus, in dropsy, in which they are chiefly 
employed, if perfectly successful, they do but remove for a time a 
portion of the effusive fluid, which quickly collects again ; they are 
sometimes useful in calculous affections, and also in gonorrhoea, and 
they have a tendency to check profuse perspiration, and diminish 
plethora ; but their frequent and constant use is very weakening to 
the system. 



578 



OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 



DIURETIC PILLS FOR STONE, GRAVEL, ETC. 

Carbonate of soda 2 drachms. 

Castil soap 1-J " 

Oil of juniper 30 drops. 

Syrup of ginger sufficient. 

Mix. Make 30 pills. Dose, 2 three times a day. 

DROPSY PILLS. 

Blue pills 2 drachms. 

Powdered squills 4 scruples. 

foxglove 1 drachm. 

Syrup of ginger sufficient. 

Make into 64 pills. Dose, 1 pill three times a day. 

INFUSION FOR DROPSY. 

Bruised juniper berries 2 ounces. 

Bruised anise seeds .... 2 drachms. 

Boiling water 1 pint. 

Let it stand for three hours, then strain. Take a teacupful often. 

DRAUGHT FOR DROPSY. 

Acetate of potass half a drachm. 

Oxymel of squills .1 drachm. 

Compound spirit of juniper half a drachm. 

Nitric spirit of ether 20 drops. 

Water, or camphor water ..... 2 ounces. 
Take every morning 

DIURETIC, AND STIMULATING DRAUGHT. 

Carbonate of potass 10 grains. 

Compound infusion of gentian .... 8 drachms. 

Compound spirit of ether half a drachm. 

Tincture of cinnamon 1 drachm. 

Take as occasion may require. 

DILUENTS. 

Diluents are liquids administered to increase the fluidity of the 
blood, and render certain of the secretions and excretions less 
viscid. They likewise promote the operation of more active medi- 
cines, especially aperients and diuretics. Water is the simplest and 
frequently the best diluent ; or it may be made more agreeable by 
the addition of acid or other substances, or in the form of toast and 
water. Gruel, infusion of tea, mutton and chicken broth, beef-tea, 
and such-like, come under this designation. Diluents are of great 
use in allaying the thirst of patients affected with fever or other in- 
flammatory complains, and are often very useful in subduing the 
more violent symptoms of the disease, and relieving the system by 
means of perspiration. The excessive use of fluids at meals, however, 
is hurtful to digestion. 



MEDICINES, THEIR PREPARATIONS, ETC. 579 

EMBROCATIONS. 

Embrocation is a term originally applied to those external appli- 
cations used for softening or dissipating swellings. The word has, 
however, extended beyond its primary meaning, and is applied to 
oleaginous and spirituous compounds which incite the surface of the 
skin to increased action, and produce all the effects of counter-irritants, 
or which, by their influence on the extremities of the nerves, assist in 
resolving spasm ; thus acting as anti-spasmodics. 

For inflammation of the skin, bruises, swelling of the glands and contusions, where 
blood vessels have been ruptured under the skin, a pint of good vinegar and half a 
pint of strong spirits is found very beneficial. Alum added to it is good for chil- 
blains. 

FOR SPRAINS AND BRUISES, 
Especially where the parts are discolored with blood underneath the skin, and in rheumatic 

swelling of the joints. 

Vinegar 1 pint. 

Distilled water half a pint. 

Rectified spirits 1£ " 

Camphor 2 ounces. 

Mix the vinegar and water, dissolve the camphor in the spirit of wine, and then 
put them all together. 

FOR SPRAINS, BRUISES AND OTHER INJURIES, 

When the skin is not broken. 
Carbonate of ammonia ...... 2 ounces. 

Vinegar . 2 pints. 

Proof spirit . . 3 " 

Mix the ammonia with the vinegar ; when the effervescence ceases, add the 
spirit. In inflammation of the joints of some standing, this is mixed with linseed 
meal, and applied as a poultice twice a day. 

FOR LUMBAGO, GOUTY PAINS, AND RHEUMATISM, 

The following is often highly beneficial : 

Soap liniment 2 ounces. 

Spirit of camphor ...... 1 ounce. 

Oil of thyme 2 drachms. 

Tincture of opium 1 drachm. 

Mix and rub well over the part affected. A piece of lint dipped in this, and put 
in a hollow tooth, frequently arrests aching. 

EMETICS. 

Emetics are medicines which influence the stomach in a peculiar 
manner, so as to invert its action and produce vomiting. This effect 
is caused not by the quantity of the matter introduced, but by the 
nature of the emetic itself. Emetics are useful when it is found ne- 
cessary to relieve the stomach of some hurtful or indigestible sub- 



580 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

stances. Lives that have been endangered either by poisons or excess 
of food have frequently been saved by means of emetics. In cases of 
fever, emetics are frequently used; it is supposed that the copious 
secretion which they produce from the glands of the stomach and in- 
testines has a direct curative action. They tend to render the disease 
milder, and should be administered at as early a stage of the disease 
as possible. They may be advantageously repeated even at a more 
advanced stage, as they induce sleep and a moist state of the skin. 
Emetics, however, should always be given with great caution, since, 
in cases of depression of the system, their action is to produce nausea, 
by which the vital power is always diminished. The emetics gener- 
ally used consist of preparations of antimony, zinc, and copper. Squills, 
lobelia, ipecacuanha, and other substances, are also employed. Mus- 
tard and water, diluted, is one of the mildest and most generally used 
emetics. Emetics should never be administered to a patient who is 
disposed to apoplexy, or has a tendency of blood to the head, or 
where he is liable to hemorrhage from any organ, or is subject to 
hernia. During pregnancy, also, emetics must be avoided. 

AN EMETIC DRAUGHT. 

Tartarized antimony 1 grain. 

Ipecacuanha wine 2 drachms. 

Water 1% ounce. 

Half to be taken, and repeated in twenty minutes, if sickness be not induced. 

MIXTURE. 
Ipecacuanha wine .... . half an ounce. 

Tartarized antimony 1 grain. 

Tincture of squills half a drachm. 

Distilled water ....... 7 ounces. 

Take four tablespoonfuls ; if not effective, take two tablespoonfuls every half 
hour afterwards. 

EMMEMGOGUES. 

Emmenagogues are medicines to promote the natural functions pe- 
culiar to females. 

MIXTURE FOR THE WEAK AND PALE, IN CASES OF RETENTION". 

Myrrh, in powder ...... 2 drachms. 

Sulphate of iron 50 grains. 

Carbonate of potass ...... 1 drachm. 

Spirit of nutmeg .1 ounce. 

Water 18 ounces. 

Sugar ......... 2 drachms. 

Pound the myrrh with the carbonate of potass and spirit of nutmeg perfectly ; 
then add gradually the water, after which the sulphate of iron and sugar. In re- 
tention, take two tablespoonfuls every fourth or sixth hour. 



MEDICINES, THEIR PREPARATIONS, ETC. 581 

EMMENAGOGTJES PILL. 

Aloes pill, with myrrh 1 drachm. 

Compound iron pill 1 drachm. 

Carbonate of soda .1 scruple. 

Make into thirty pills ; take two twice a day. 

EXPECTORANTS. 

Expectorants are for the purpose of relieving the throat, lungs, and 
air passages from an accumulation of mucus. 

rOWDEE. 

Myrrh, in powder 16 grains. 

Ipecacuanha, in powder 6 grains. 

Nitrate of potass 10 grains. 

Divide into four ; take one every four hours. 

DBAUGUT. 

Syrup of squills ....... 1 drachm. 

Ipecacuanha wine 10 drops. 

Carbonate of potass 10 grains. 

Take with a desert spoonful of lemon juice effervescing three times a day. 

MIXTURE. 

Ipecacuanha wine 1 drachm. 

Sweet spirit of nitre 2 drachms. 

Syrup of squills 6 drachms. 

Camphor water . 3 ounces. 

Mix : a tablespoonful when the cough is troublesome. 

LINIMENTS. 

Liniments are for the purpose of subduing swellings, or to act as 
counter-irritants on the skin, and thus prevent inflammation sinking 
deeper into the part. Rubbing gently with the hand or hair brush 
often answers the purpose of dispersing swelling. When a joint has 
to be rubbed, the hand sometimes hurts the skin, and cannot well be 
continued more than a quarter of an hour, in which case it is usual to 
lay on the palm a little oil or lard. 

Opodeldoc— This is more commonly known by the name of soap liniment — to 
make which, put an ounce of camphor into half a pint of strong, pure spirits, slice 
very thin three ounces of hard white soap, and put it also into the bottle ; shake it 
several times a day, until the whole is perfectly dissolved, when it is fit for use. 

Mustard Liniment. — Shake well for a few days an ounce of fresh-ground mus- 
tard in a pint of spirits of turpentine ; when well settled, carefully pour off the 
liquid from the mustard. Cover the hand when applying it, and only continue 
until the part smarts. Useful in chilblains, lumbago, etc. 

Hartshorn and oil is a common application, especially in stiff necks and slight 
rheumatism ; the proportions are one-third hartshorn to two-thirds of oil. 

Chilblain Liniment. — Camphor, 10 grains ; turpentine, 2 drachms ; soap lini- 
ment, 10 drachms. 



582 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

LOTIONS. 

Lotions are employed for different purposes, to cool and soothe the 
parts, to dry and absorb, or to irritate and stimulate. 

Cold water is very common now in medical practice as an evaporating wash. 
A single piece of linen is laid over the part, which is exposed to the air, and as it 
dries more water is dropped on from a sponge ; if used to ease severe pain, add a 
teaspoonful of laudanum to a pint of water. 

Spirit Lotion. — Rectified spirit of wine, 1 ounce ; water, 15 ounces. Should 
this spirit not be at hand, use a quartern of good drinking spirits ; used as an eva- 
porating wash in inflammations and bruises. 

Lead Lotion, or Goulard Water. — Sugar of lead, 1 drachm ; diluted acetic 
acid, half an ounce ; spirits of wine, half an ounce ; water, 10 ounces. When 
wanted as a lotion for the eyes, the proportions are two grains of the sugar of lead 
to two tablespoonfuls of water. 

Zinc Lotion. — Sulphate of zinc, one drachm ; water, one pint. This is a drying 
wash used in cracking of the skin, and after burns and scalds, to heal *hem and ar- 
rest the discharge. 

Lotion of Alum — Add half a drachm of alum to one pint of water ; an excel- 
lent lotion in inflammation of the eyes. 

Lime Water is also employed as a drying wash. Pour nearly a pint of water 
gradually on to a pound of unslaked lime, stir well, let it stand until the lime has 
fallen to the bottom, then pour the water off, and it is ready for use. Taken in- 
ternally in indigestion, mixed with milk ; as an astringent in dysentery and diar- 
rhoea ; and in children's bowel complaints. 

OINTMENTS. 

Ointments are used for the purpose of dressing sores, and to pro- 
tect them from the air; the most simple serve this purpose best. 
They are made by melting the ingredients together in a pipkin by 
the side of the fire ; be very careful not to let them boil. 

Ointment, Common. — Melt together one part of yellow wax and two parts of 
hog's lard ; white wax is sometimes preferred, and olive oil may sometimes be sub- 
stituted for the hard. 

Tartar Emetic Ointment. — Tartar emetic, 1 drachm ; lard, one ounce ; mix. 
Applied instead of blisters to the chest, in inflammation of lungs, etc. 

Spermaceti Ointment. — Melt, as before, a quarter of an ounce of white wax, 
three-quarters of an ounce of spermaceti, and three ounces of olive oil. Use as a 
dressing, after blistering. 

Ointment for Piles. — Powdered galls, 2 drachms; sugar of lead, 20 grains; 
lard, 2 ounces ; rub them on the bottom of a plate well together. 

Elder-flower Ointment. — Elder flowers, 2 lbs. ; lard, 2 lbs. ; simmer till crisp, 
and strain. Used as a cooling ointment to sunburns, etc. 

Peruvian Balsam Ointment. — Peruvian balsam, 1 drachm ; hog's lard, one 
ounce ; mix. An excellent healing ointment for sore breasts, excoriations, etc. 

Red Ppecipitate Ointment. — Red precipitate of mercury, 1 drachm ; common 



MEDICINES, THEIR PREPARATIONS, ETC. 583 

ointment, 1 ounce : mix on the bottom of a plate. Useful as a stimulating dress- 
ing to wounds and sores, as is also the following : 

Yellow Basilicon. — Melt together yellow wax, 2 ounces ; white resin, 5 ounces; 
hog's lard, 7 ounces ; stir well while melting. 

POULTICES. 

On the utility of poultices in cases where the application of warmth 
and moisture is required we need not here insist, for all who have 
had anything to do with the treatment of disease are fully aware of * 
this. Yery often, however, they fail of producing the expected good 
effects, because they are not properly prepared or applied ; we there- 
fore deem it well to give directions for the preparation of those most 
commonly employed. 

Bread and Water Poultice. — Put into a basin a sufficient quantity of crumbs, 
and cover it with boiling water ; let it stand with a plate over it to keep the steam 
for a minute or two, then draw off the water, and turn out the contents of the 
basin into a piece of folded linen, sufficiently large to cover the affected part ; to 
which, having first spread over it a little lard, to prevent its sticking when dry, ap- 
ply the poultice next the skin, keeping it close by means of a bandage or wrapper 
of some kind. If not required warm, merely soak sufficient bread in cold water, 
and apply it, when saturated, on a fold of linen, as directed above. 

Linseed Meal Poultice. — Pour some boiling water into a basin, and add grad- 
ually the meal, stirring with a stick until the mixture becomes quite a stiff paste ; 
then spread it an inch thick on folded linen, and apply. 

Mustard Poultice. — To make this take as much as may be required, in equal 
proportions, of best of flour mustard and linseed meal, or bread crumbs ; put them 
into a basin previously warmed, and add gradually as much boiling water as may 
be necessary ; grease, and apply as above directed, or simply mix the mustard 
with hot water, spread the paste on linen, place over it a piece of muslin, and place 
it next the skin ; if it is desirable to make it more stimulating, some scraped horse- 
radish will have this effect. The length of time that a mustard poultice may re- 
main on must be regulated in great measure by the feelings of the patient. 

Yeast Poultice. — Add to a half a pound of linseed meal, in a basin, a quarter 
of a pint each of beer yeast and water heated, mix gradually with a spoon or stick ; 
spread on linen, and apply. It should be renewed every six or eight hours, as 
should the linseed meal poultice. 

Charcoal Poultice. — Add to a common bread and water poultice, while quite 
hot, about an equal quantity of linseed meal and charcoal ; mix, spread on linen, 
and apply. Useful for gangrenous and foetid sores. 

Salt and Water Poultice is made like one of bread and water, by merely dis- 
solving a tablespoonful of common salt in the water previous to mixing ; this* is 
recommended for chronic abscesses. 

Almost any soft substance that will retain heat and moisture may 
be used to form a poultice, which should be perfectly smooth, and 
free frt>w -nxnps or hardness ; recently a preparation called spongia 



584 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

piline has been employed ; this has merely to be soaked in a hot 
liquid, drained out, and laid on with oiled skin, or some other water- 
proof material over it ; indeed, all poultices should be so covered, the 
heat and moisture is thus retained longer than they otherwise can be. 

Medicated Poultices are frequently prepared by using a decoc- 
tion or infusion of the medicinal agent, such as hemlock, or poppy, 
instead of plain water, with bread or oatmeal. Take of dried hem- 
lock leaves, 1 ounce; water, a pound and-a-half; boil down to a 
pound, and add of powdered hemlock leaves sufficient to make a 
poultice. This is often used for lulling pain in cancerous sores, etc 

Arrow-root Poultice is recommended as a soothing application 
for irritable sores, etc. Hops, camomiles, scraped carrot and turnip, 
and a variety of other substances, are also used for this purpose, but 
it is doubtful whether they possess any advantages over those more 
commonly employed. 

Poulticing of wounds and abscesses is sometimes carried too far 
Up to a certain point it is good ; but when the discharge becomes 
thin and serous, and increases rather than diminishes, and the healing 
process appears to stop, it is time to stay this kind of application, 
and substitute water dressing, which often gives a more healthy char- 
acter to the affected part. 

TONICS. 

Tonics are medicines employed to improve the tone or strength of 
the system by acting on the muscular fibres through the nerves. Ton- 
ics are stimulants of a certain kind, but differ from ordinary stimu- 
lants in the permanence of their effects. They are usually prescribed 
in small doses frequently repeated, and are persevered in for some 
time. It is generally necessary to begin with a mild tonic, before 
taking one more powerful. If carried to excess or too long-continued, 
tonics act as irritants, weaken the system, or induce disease. Among 
the tonics in more common use may be mentioned cinchona, quassia, 
gentian, chiretta, cusparia, calumba, cascarilla, strychnine ; the vari- 
ous preparations of iron, bismuth, copper, zinc, arsenic ; hydrochlo- 
ric, nitric, and phosphoric acids. 

PILLS, TONIC AND PURGATIVE. 

Sulphate of iron 10 grains. 

Extract of gentian half a drachm. 

Aloes 1 drachm. 

Mix. Divide into thirty pills. Take two daily, an hour before dinner. 



MEDICINES, THEIR PREPARATIONS, ETC. 



585 






IN INTERMITTENT FEYERS. 

Peruvian bark half an ounce. 

Sulphate of magnesia (Epsom salts) ... 3 drachms. 
Mix well. Divide into four. Take one every other hour between the parox- 
ysms, dissolved in water. 

A mixture given in hysterics, tic doloureux, debility after fever, etc. 



6 ounces. 
half an ounce. 
1 scruple. 
1 drachm. 

A wine glassful taken two 



Infusion of quassia or cascarilla 

Tincture of bark 

Aromatic confection ..... 

Aromatic spirit of ammonia .... 
Two tablespoonfuls twice a day. 
Infusion of quassia ; of cascarilla, or of camomiles 
or three times a day. 

TONIC MIXTURE FOR NERYOUS DISEASES. 

Pyrophosphate of iron 1 drachm. 

Syrup 2 ounces. 

Cinnamon water 2 " 

Dose, 1 tablespoonful after each meal. 

TONIC DRAUGHT. 

Gentian root . 1 ounce. 

Calumba root . 1 " 

Bitter orange peel . . . . . . 1 " 

Boiling water 1 quart. 

Infuse till cold, then strain and add tincture of calumba and tincture of ginger, 
of each, one ounce. Dose, 3 tablespoonfuls three times a day. 

TONIC MIXTURE FOR GENERAL WEAKNESS. 

Extract rhatany root, 3 drachms, dissolve in infusion of buchu leaves 12 ounces, 
then add aromatic tincture of rhatany root one ounce, aromatic spirit of ammonia, 
2 drachms. Mix. Dose, two tablespoonfuls every three hours. 

TONIC PILLS 
For icealcness of the bladder and spermal debility. 

Sulphate of quinine 1 scruple. 

Powdered cantharides 10 grains. 

Extract of aloes 1 drachm. 

Extract of myrrh 1 

Sulphate of iron 4 scruples. 

Extract of gentian .:.... 4 

Extract of dandelion 4 " 

Oil of cajeput 10 drops. 

Mix Divide into 125 pills. Dose. 1 or 2 twice a day. 

TONIC PILLS FOR NEKYOUS OR SPERMATORRHOEA DEBILITY. 

Borax 2 scruples. 

Musk 1 

Ambergris ........ 1 

Extract of aloes ... ^ ... 1 



586 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

Extract of Indian hemp 10 grains. 

Oil of cinnamon .10 drops. 

Mix. Divide into 30 pills. Dose, 2 or 3, twice a day. 

STOMACHICS. 

These are medicines which stimulate or excite into action the mu- 
cus coats of the stomach. 

DECOTION FOR INDIGESTION. 

Gentian and calumba roots, each .... 1 ounce. 

Water 3 quarts. 

Boil down to half, strain ; add compound tincture of cardamons, two ounces. 
Dose, a teacupful two or three times a day. 

MIXTURE FOR WEAK. STOMACH ATTENDED WITH NERVOUS HEADACHE. 
Aromatic spirit of ammonia and compound tincture of 

gentian, each £ ounce. 

Infusion of cascarilla ...*.. 7 ounces. 
Mix. Dose, two tablespoonfuls 3 times a day. 

PILLS FOR DYSPEPSIA. 
Socorine aloes 1 drachm. 



2 drachms. 
20 drops. 

3 drachms, 
sufficient to mix. 



Powdered myrrh and rhubarb, each 

Oil of camomile 

Extract of camomile .... 
Syrup of rhubarb . . . 

Make into 125 pills, Dose, one or two before dinner. 

STOMACHIC TINCTURE FOR WEAKNESS AND FLATULENCE. 
Cinnamon and ginger bruised, of each half an ounce ; capsicum pods, lesser car- 
damon seeds and caraway seeds, bruised, of each two drachms ; proof spirit, one 
pint ; infuse seven days, strain. Dose, a wine-glass twice a day. 



BOTANICAL MEDICAL PRACTICE. 587 



PART XI. 



Botanical Medical Practice. 



As many of our friends may prefer the treatment of disease through the medium 
of herbs alone, we herein give, in addition to the herbal preparations in the pre- 
vious parts, many other formula ; and amongst them will be found the principal 
forms used by the best eclectic physicians and botanical medicine practitioners of 
America and Europe. 

Alum Root, Crane's Bill, or Crow Foot. — A most powerful astringent, and 
in small doses is most valuable in secondary stages of diarrhoea and dysentery, in 
hemorrhages, and in piles, also in sore mouth and throat. A valuable local appli- 
cation in leucorrhcea, excoration of cervix, uteri, and in piles. Dose : of fluid 
extract, one to two drachms. 

Anti-dyspeptic Powder. — Cayenne and golden seal, of each two ounces ; sal- 
eratus, half an ounce — mix in powder. Dose : half a teaspoonful in hot water 
fifteen minutes after a meal, in indigestion, pain in the stomach, etc. 

Anti-dyspeptic Pills. — Golden seal, powdered, three ounces ; cayenne, five 
drachms; inspissated oxgall, Q. S. — mix; divide into five grain pills. Dose: two 
to four, three times a day. They rectify acidity and wind in the stomach, and 
regulate the bowels. 

Anti-spasmodic Tincture. — Lobelia seed, powdered, one pound ; valerian and 
cayenne, of each four ounces ; Holland gin, one gallon — infuse ten days, closely 
stopped, shake once a day, then strain for use. Dose : a teaspoonful two or three 
times a day, in fits of all kinds — hysteria, hypochondria, hydrophobia, etc. 

Balmony, or Snake Head. — Is an excellent bitter tonic and laxative, and is 
useful in costiveness, indigestion, loss of appetite, jaundice, worms, etc., given in 
infusions and other forms. 

Bayberry. — A native of the New England States. The bark of the root is the 
part used in medicine ; it is an astringent stimulant, is an excellent medicine for 
canker, also for bowel complaints, and if given freely at the commencement, is said 
to be a certain cure. The powder is given in teaspoonful doses, in water, sweet- 
ened ; or a strong infusion, drunk freely. Taken every two or three hours. 

Barberry. — The bark is the part used. It is a bitter tonic ; improves the ap- 
petite, acts on the liver. Is taken in powder or infusion, similar to golden seal. 

Beturoot, Wake Robin, True Love, or Jew's Harp. — The root is the part used. 
It is an astringent. Useful in all excessive discharges of the bowels, womb, or in 
bleedings internally of all kinds. The powdered root may be taken in infusion of 
one ounce to the pint for four doses. 

Bitter Root, or Dog's Bane. — The bark of the root is the part used. It is a 
tonic, anti-spasmodic, and stimulant. A strong infusion, or decoction drunk in 



588 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

small teacupful doses, every two hours, till it operates. Cleanses the stomach and 
bowels, and frees from bile. 

Black Cohosh, Black Snakeroot, or Rattleweed.— The root is the part 
used. A syrup made of its decoction is useful for coughs ; and a poultice, made by 
thickening the decoction with slippery elm, is useful in all kinds of inflammation 

Boneset, Thorotjghwort, Feverwort, or Indian Sage. — The leaves and 
flowers are used. It is a relaxant, sudorific, antiseptic, stimulant, diuretic, and 
tonic. The infusion of two ounces in one quart of boiling water, drunk freely. A 
teacupful every fifteen minutes (drunk warm), till it operates, will produce vomit- 
ing ; for sweating, two tablespoonful doses every hour. As a tonic and laxative, a 
small teacupful of the decoction every two hours. 

Bugle Weed, Water Hoarhound, or Betony. — Tonic, sedative and slightly 
astringent. It has a marked effect on the heart, reducing the velocity of the pulse. 
It is useful in diabetes, and will arrest bleeding from the stomach or lungs, and 
also will give relief in dyspeptic and all gastric derangements. It may be used 
in an infusion of leaves or stems, or in one to three grain doses of its active prin- 
ciple, Tycopin. The warm infusion aids perspiration and equalizes the circula- 
tion. It may be taken freely without producing unfavorable symptoms. 

Burdock. — This is a common but valuable plant. The root is used. It is an 
excellent diuretic, and is given in dropsies and urinal diseases, in the form of 
decoction. Dried root of burdock, sliced, one ounce ; water, two pints, boil down 
to half. This is to be taken in about six doses, in twenty-four hours, for dropsy. 

Butternut, or White Walnut. — The inner bark, or the root is used. It is a 
mild, efficacious, tonic purge, and is recommended for derangement of the liver, 
costiveness, worms, and dysentry, also in lingering fevers. It is given in decoction, 
extracts, pills, syrups, etc. 

Camomile, or Chamomile. — This well-known plant is a favorite domestic remedy 
for sick head-ache and stomach derangements. The strong infusion, drunk warm, 
is emetic ; taken cold, in small half-teacupful doses, is stomachic. 

Camomile Pills. — Extract of camomile, four drachms; camomile flowers, 
dried and powdered, two drachms ; extract of gentian, two drachms ; Turkey 
rhubarb (powdered), valerian (powdered), and best ginger (poAvdered), of each one 
drachm ; oil of camomile, ten drops ; syrup of ginger, Q. S. Mix 170 pills. Dose : 
three twice a day, as a stomachic, for headache, etc. 

Canada Snake Root, Wild Ginger, or Colt's Foot. — A tonic, stimulant, dia- 
phoretic and expectorant. The root is used. As a warm stimulant and nervine ; 
useful in affections of the lungs, colds, asthma, croup, consumption, etc. The or- 
dinary dose is a teaspoonful, in warm water, sweetened, thrice a day. 

Canker, Compound for. — Bayberry, one ounce ; white pond lily, one ounce ; 
cayenne, two drachms ; loaf sugar, half-a-pound — all finely powdered, sifted, and 
mixed. Dose : half-a-teaspoonful in honey, or molasses, twice or three times a 
day ; and a teaspoonful put in a teacupful of boiling water, to gargle with. Use- 
ful in all cases of canker in the mouth, etc. 

Cayenne Pills. — Cayenne (powdered), and best ginger (powdered), of each 
two drachms ; angelica root (powdered), one drachm ; syrup of ginger, Q. S. 
Mix 100 pills. Dose : two or three twice or thrice a day, as a warm stimulant to 
expel wind, warm stomach, etc. 

Cholera, Diarrhcea, or Dysentery, Powder for. — Bayberry, gulden seal, 
and rhubarb, of each one ounce ; cinnamon and dried peppermint, of each half- 
an-ounce ; saleratus, two drachms ; powdered myrrh, one drachm ; loaf sugar, 
three ounces — all well powdered, sifted, and mixed. Dose : put a teaspoonful of 
the powder in half-a-teacupful of hot water, add two teaspoonfuls of loaf sugar — 
when cool enough give two or thee tablespoonfuls every fifteen minutes, till the 
looseness, etc.. is stopped, and relief is got; or — 

Cholera, Diarrhcea, or Dysentery, Powder for. — Powdered catechu, six 
ounces; stomach bitters powder and best ginger, of each three ounces; cinchona 
bark and cinnamon, of each two ounces ; valerian, cloves and cayenne, of each one 



BOTANICAL MEDICAL PRACTICE. 589 

and a-half ounces ; bayberry, and myrrh, of each one ounce — well powdered, 
sifted, and mixed. Dose: a teaspoonful in a cup of ginger tea, every ten minutes 
till relief is got. 

Cholera, Diarrhoea, or Dysentery, Decoction or Syrup for. — Green pepper- 
mint, two ounces ; bayberry, one ounce ; white pond lily root, one ounce ; Avater, 
three pints — boil down to two pints, and strain — pour the boiling liquor on the 
""following ingredients : Powdered rhubarb, one ounce ; powdered myrrh, two 
drachms ; saleratus and cayenne, of each one drachm ; loaf sugar, three ounces ; 
when cold, bottle, and add best brandy, or rectified spirit of wine, four ounces. 
Dose: take half a wine-glassful every two hours, till relief is got. 

Colic, Remedy for — On two teaspoonfuls of composition powder, pour one 
pint of boiling water, stir together ; when cool, add of tincture of myrrh and tinc- 
ture of ginger, of each two drachms. Give a wine-glassful of this every ten or 
fifteen minutes. Apply a hot bran poultice to the part where the pain is, and ad- 
minister an enema This course will mostly relieve. 

Composition Powder. — 1. Bayberry, tw r o pounds; ginger, one pound; cayenne, 
cinnamon, and prickly ash, of each two ounces : or — 2. Bayberry, three pounds ; 
ginger, one and a-half pounds ; cayenne and cloves, of each three ounces ; or — 3. 
Bayberry, six ounces ; ginger, two ounces ; pinus canadensis, cloves and cinnamon, 
of each half an ounce ; cayenne, two drachms; or — 4. Bayberry, eight ounces; 
poplar bark and ginger, of each four ounces ; cloves, one ounce ; cinnamon, half 
an ounce ; cayenne, two drachms. Whichever is taken, it must he finely powdered, 
sifted, and well mixed. They are stimulant, carminative, tonic and nervine. The 
dose is a teaspoonful in a cupful of warm water, sweetened and made to palate, 
with milk or cream, and taken two or three times a day, when needed. 

Comfrey — The root is used. It should be collected in early spring or late in 
the fall, cut into pieces, dried, and kept from damp air, as it deteriorates by long 
keeping. It is useful in coughs, consumption, d3 7 sentery, soreness of bow r els, etc. 
Given in strong infusion, or powdered root, in half 'teaspoonful doses. 

Conserve Stimulating, or Bread of Life. — Golden seal, prickly ash, poplar 
bark, and cinnamon, of each two ounces; cayenne, one ounce; loaf sugar, four 
pounds — all finely powdered and well mixed, kneaded to a stiff dough with mucilage 
of slippery elm. adding oil of. pennyroyal and peppermint, of each two drachms; 
made into cakes of convenient size, and dried. May be eaten freely. Is useful 
for coughs, colds, hoarseness, and as a stomachic stimulant. 

Consumption, Powder for. — Stomach bitters, cough powder, and diabetes pow- 
der, of each four drachms. Mix. Take a teaspoonful in a teacupful of hot water 
three times a day — taking cough pills and syrup also. 

Cough Drops, or Syrup. — 1. Lobelia herb, four ounces ; hoarhound, comfrey, 
and elecampane, of each two ounces ; boneset, four ounces ; water, three quarts ; 
boil to three pints — strain; add two pounds of loaf sugar and one pint of Holland 
gin. Dose : tw r o teaspoonfuls every hour, in asthma, croup, consumption, etc. 
2. Hoarhound, hyssop, polypoddy root, coltsfoot, linseed, elecampane, and liquor- 
ice, of each one ounce ; aniseed, half an ounce ; water, three pints, boil down to 
two — strain; add best molasses, two pounds ; acid tincture of lobelia, four ounces. 
Boil slowly twenty minutes — skim— then add, when cold, tincture of ginger, one 
ounce; oil of mint, one drachm (put together these two to dissolve oil). Dose: 
from one teaspoonful to four tablespoonfuls four times a day, for coughs, consump- 
tions, and most diseases of the lungs and bronchial tubes. 

Cough Pills — Gum ammoniac, one ounce; extract of lobelia, lobelia herb, 
cayenne, elecampane, and aniseed (powdered), of each two drachms — dissolve the 
gum and extract in a little hot water, then add the other ingredients in powder 
— mass with mucilage of gum arabic, Q. S. Mix 270 pills. Dose : one to three 
pills twice or thrice a day, in all kinds of coughs. 

Cough Powders. — 1. Slippery elm, one ounce; lobelia herb, prickly ash, 
skunk cabbage, wake robin, and valerian, of each half an ounce ; cayenne, one 
drachm — powder well, and mix. Dose : half a teaspoonful, in hot water, sweeten- 



590 OUR FAMILY EOCTOR. 

ed, every three hours, for all coughs, consumption, etc. 2. Elecampane, liquorice 
powder, and skull cap, of each one ounce ; polypoddy, angelica, and ginger, of 
each two drachms ; lobelia herbs and aniseed, of each one drachm — powder and 
mix. Dose : a teaspoonful, same as composition powders, for coughs, hoarseness, 
etc. 

Cramp of Stomach, Remedy for. — Spasmodic powder, a teaspoonful ; pour 
on to it half a pint of boiling water, sweeten, let it settle, when cool, strain. Put 
ten drops of oil of mint into an ounce of tincture of ginger — mix with the infusion. 
Give a tablespoonful every ten minutes till relief is got. 

Croup, Syrup for. — Lobelia, ginger, and cayenne, of each half a drachm ; 
sugar, half a pound; boiling water, one pint — pour on, stir till sugar is dissolved, 
leave to settle — mix oil of peppermint, one drachm, with tincture of myrrh, one 
ounce — mix with the other. Dose : from a tea to a tablespoonful, according to 
age, half-hourly, till relief is got. 

Curative Powder. — Composition powder, one ounce ; barberry bark, half an 
ounce ; white poplar bark, skunk cabbage, and dandelion root, of each two 
drachms ; cloves, two scruples ; cayenne, one scruple — all well powdered and 
mixed. Useful in stomach and liver complaints. It may be taken similarly to 
composition powder, two, three, or four times a day. 

Diabetes, Powder for. — Bistort root, two ounces ; comfrey root, Peruvian 
bark, and golden seal, of each, one ounce ; white resin and tormentil root, of each 
half an ounce — all well powdered and mixed. Dose, a teaspoonful three times a 
day, in anything convenient. 

Diuretic Powder. — Buchu leaves, one and a half ounces ; parsley root and uva 
ursa, of each one ounce ; kercuma and blue flag root, of each half an ounce ; dan- 
delion root and dwarf elder, inner bark, of each two drachms ; cayenne, one 
drachm— powder all and mix well, then add oil of juniper, thirty drops. Taken 
same as composition powder, twice or thrice a day, for bladder affections, dropsy, 
etc. 

Diuretic Syrup. — Queen of the meadow root, cleavers herb, burdock root, or 
seed, and juniper berries, of each four ounces ; water, two pints, boil down to one, 
strain and press off, then add honey, two and a half pounds — simmer and skim ; 
when cold, add one pint of the best Holland gin — bottle for use. Dose, three 
tablespoonfuls three times a day, in strangury, dropsy, etc. 

Dock Ointment. — Sharp dock root, fresh got, sliced and bruised, one pound ; 
pinus canadensis, two ounces ; mutton suet, clarified, four ounces ; lard, one and 
a half pounds — simmer all together on a slow fire two hours — strain ; stir till cold. 
Useful for scurvy, scrofula, itch, etc. 

Dropsy, Decoction for. — Blue flag root, parsley root, ginger, and juniper ber- 
ries, of each one ounce ; dwarf elder and buchu leaves, of each half an ounce ; 
bruise roots and berries — boil in two quarts of water down to three pints ; then 
add elder and buchu— boil ten minutes longer, strain, and press out. Take half a 
wine-glassful four times a day along with the diuretic powder and gravel pills, liv- 
ing well on dry stimulating food. 

Dropsy, Poavder for. — Queen of the meadow root and parsley root, of each one 
and a half ounces ; buchu leaves, one ounce ; uva ursa, ginger and cinnamon, of 
each, half an ounce — powder and mix well. Taken same as composition powder, 
twice or thrice a day, in dropsy and bladder affections. 

Elm Poultice. — Slippery elm, two teaspoonfuls ; lobelia herb and ginger, of 
each one teaspoonful — mix well with warm water. Useful in all cases of pain and 
inflammation. 

Emetic Powder. — Lobelia herb, lobelia seed, and cayenne, of each, two ounces ; 
bayberry and valerian, of each one ounce — all finely powdered and well mixed. 
Dose : put four teaspoonfuls in a cupful of hot water — leave to settle. Give four 
teaspoonfuls of the tea every ten minutes, until it operates freely as an emetic. 

Erysipelas, or St. Anthony's Fire, Decoction for — Yarrow, boneset, figwort, 
wood sage, meadow sweet, and composition powder, of each half an ounce ; water, 



BOTANICAL MEDICAL PRACTICE. 591 

two quarts, boil down to three points — strain — sweeten with coarse sugar to taste. 
Dose : a wine-glassful every ten minutes till the patient sweats freely, and the slip- 
pery elm poultice may be applied to the painful part — will soothe the irritation. 

Excess op Menstruation, or Flooding, Remedy for. — Archangel crane's bill, 
meadow sweet, raspberry leaves, and bistort root (bruised), of each one ounce; 
cloves (bruised), two drachms ; water, three pints, boil down to one quart — strain, 
and add whilst hot, female restorative powder, half an ounce, and stomach bitters, 
two drachms — boil a few minutes, strain through muslin, and add white sugar, 
half a pound. Take a wine-glassful four times a day ; half an hour before meals. 

Females, Cordial for. — Partridge berry vine, three ounces ; high cranberry, 
unicorn root, and blue cohosh, of each one ounce ; water, two quarts, boil down to 
one —strain, and add fine sugar, half a pound ; best brandy, twelve ounces. Given 
to pregnant females about a fortnight before the expected time ot confinement ; 
it strengthens much both mother and child. Dose : from half a wine-glassful to a 
whole one, twice during the day, and at bed time in a little warm water— it eases 
during labor. 

Female Corrective Pills. — Germander and tansey flowers (dried and pow- 
dered), unicorn root, myrrh, and socotrine aloes, of each two drachms ; cayenne, 
one drachm ; oil of mint, pennyroyal, and thyme, of each five drops ; strong infu- 
sion, or juice of mugwort, Q. S. to mix with— 165 pills. Two night and morning. 
Are very useful in female obstructions, or suppression of menses. 

Female Restorative Pills. — Kino, white resin, bistort root, myrrh, socotrine 
aloes, and cloves, of each two drachms ; tincture of kino, Q. S —mix 180 pills. Dose : 
two taken twice or thrice a day for profuse menstruations, whites, etc. 

Female Corrective Powders. — I. White poplar bark and bayberry, of each 
one ounce ; ginger, six drachms ; cloves, cinnamon, and golden seal, of each four 
drachms; myrrh, two drachms; cayenne, one drachm— all finely powdered and 
well mixed, A teaspoonful taken four times a day — in pennyroyal, feverfew, tan- 
sey tea, or the like— in obstruction of menses, and similar diseases ; or — II. Myrrh, 
tansey flowers, unicorn, and cayenne, of each four ounces ; socotrine aloes, four 
drachms - finely powdered, sifted, and well mixed. Dose : half a teaspoonful 
three or four times a day, in honey or molasses, in obstructed or suppressed 
menses. 

Female Restorative Powders. — I. Poplar bark, comfrey root, and tormen- 
til root, of each two ounces ; marsh-mallow root, white pond lily, balmony, and 
cloves, of each one ounce ; catechu and bistort root, of each four drachms ; cay- 
enne, two drachms— all powdered and sifted. Dose : a teaspoonful in a teacupful 
of hot water, sweetened, two, three, or four times a day. in whites, excessive men- 
struation, and general debility. II. Poplar bark, eight ounces ; witch hazel leaves, 
one and a half ounces ; bethroot, one and a half ounces ; cloves and cinnamon, of 
each one ounce ; cayenne, six drachms ; loaf sugar, one pound— powder and mix. 
Dose : a teaspoonful in half a teacupful of warm water three times a day, for all 
female relaxations, weaknesses, bearing downs, whites, and excessive menstrua- 
tions. III. Comfrey root, two ounces ; elecampane, two ounces ; white resin, one 
ounce ; fine sugar, eight ounces — powder and mix. Dose : a teaspoonful once a 
day, in hot water. An excellent remedy against whites, etc. 

Female Restorative Strengthening Syrup. — I. Comfrey root, marsh-mallow 
root, poplar bark, bistort root, white pond lily, cloves, and ginger, of each one 
ounce ; water, two quarts, boil down to three pints — strain — add loaf sugar, one 
pound — boil ten minutes and skim; then add French brandy, one pint; or — II. 
Comfrey root, four ounces ; elecampane root, two ounces ; hoarhound, one ounce ; 
water, three quarts, boil down to three points— strain, and add powdered bethroot, 
half an ounce ; loaf sugar, one pound ; brandy, one pint. Dose : three or four 
tablespoonfuls three or four times a day, in whites, bearings down, general debility, 
barrenness, etc. 

Fevers, Remedy for — Clear the stomach and bowels with a few doses of In- 
dian pills, or some other medicine, then make the following decoction : Take 



592 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

boneset, vervain, yarrow flowers, angelica herb, and meadow sweet, of each one 
ounce ; water, two quarts, boil down to three pints — then strain, and add powdered 
angelica root, four drachms ; powdered crawley root, two drachms ; cayenne one 
drachm — boil ten minutes longer — strain. Let the sufferer have a warm or vapor 
bath, then go to bed, taking four tablespoonfuls of the above decoction every hour 
till perspiration is excited. When the fever is overcome, and the symptoms re- 
moved, let the following be taken : 

Fever, Tonic Decoction for after. — Angelica, centuary, agrimony, hoar- 
hound, meadow sweet, camomile, and juniper berries, of each one ounce ; water, 
five pints, boil down to three — strain — add golden seal, myrrh, and composition 
powder, of each two drachms — boil ten minutes longer — strain — add rectified 
spirit of wine, or brandy, twelve ounces. Dose : a wine-glassful four times a day. 

Flax, Common. — The seed is used in medicine under the name of linseed ; also 
the oil expressed therefrom. The infusion of the seeds, or linseed tea, is a very 
useful demulcent in coughs, colds, strangury, and bladder affections The meal, 
made of the seeds, is used for poultices, etc. ; and the oil in ointments, liniments, 
etc. ; or if taken inwardly it purges gently, and may be taken as follows: 

Flaxseed, Emulsion of. — Linseed oil, two ounces ; yolks of four eggs — mix 
together — then add tincture of rhubarb and tincture of ginger, of each four 
drachms, syrup of buckthorn, one ounce ; peppermint water, to make up twelve 
ounces — stir till w r ell mixed. Dose : two or three tablespoonfuls at night, or early 
in the morning, is very useful in habitual costiveness. 

Fumitory. — Useful against scurvy and liver complaints ; jaundice, and the like. 
The juice is best, but a strong decoction will answer. 

Fumitory, Compound Decoction of. — Fumitory, dandelion roots, and liquorice, 
of each two ounces ; water, two quarts, boil down to one quart. A teacupful night 
and morning, for scurvy, liver affection, jaundice, and to remove visceral obstruc- 
tions generally. 

Ginger, Syrup of. Compound. — Ginger, sliced and bruised, one ounce ; angelica 
root, sliced and bruised, half an ounce ; peppermint, half an ounce ; boiling water, 
one point — infuse in a warm place an hour — strain it, press off, add sugar, two 
pounds — simmer and strain. Dose : a tablespoonful when required. Is useful for 
a pain in the stomach, wind, colic, and the like. 

Golden Seal or Yellow Puccoon. — The root is used. It is a bitter stimulant 
tonic. Useful in debility, indigestion, etc. A strong decoction is used as a stimu- 
lant wash to sore eyes, old sores, ulcers, etc. 

Gonorrhoea. Pills for. — Canada balsam of fir, one ounce; oil of cubebs, thirty 
drops ; liquorice root, Q. S. to mass with, divide into five grain pills. Two taken 
three times a day. 

Gravel and Stone, Decoction for. — Pareira brava root, blue flag root, dan- 
delion root, of each one ounce, sliced and bruised, juniper berries, bruised, one 
ounce ; dwarf elder, with carrot, and parsley piert, of each half an ounce ; golden 
seal root, half an ounce ; water, two quarts, boil in it roots and berries till reduced 
to three pints, then add the herbs, boil ten minutes longer, strain, and press off, 
mix one ounce of compound spirit of horse-radish with oil of juniper, one drachm, 
and when the decoction is cold put them in it. Dose : a wine-glassful four times 
a day. 

Gravel and Stone, Pills for. — Extract of dandelion, parsley root, buchu 
leaves, and wild carrot, of each half an ounce : oil of juniper, one drachm ; balsam 
of fir, Q. S., mix, divide into five grain pills. Dose : two three times a day, with 
the above decoction, is very useful. 

Headache Snuff. — Bayberry and sassafras bark, of each one ounce, blood 
root, half an ounce — powder and mix. Dose: a pinch to be taken occasionally. 

Healing Salve. — Beeswax, common turpentine, balsam of fir, and fresh but- 
ter, of each, two ounces — melt, simmer gently, and stir till cold. To dress sores 
with. 

Healing Cleansing Salve.— Burgundy pitch, six ounces; .ripe onions, sliced, 



BOTANICAL MEDICAL PRACTICE. 593 

and molasses, of each four ounces ; lard, six ounces ; beeswax, six ounces, boil over 
slow fire about half an hour, strain, and add olive or linseed oil, two, ounces stir 
till cold. This is a useful stimulating dressing for sluggish ulcers and sores. 

Healing Salve, Burgundy Pitch. — Hog's lard and clarified mutton suet, of 
each four ounces ; beeswax and olive or linseed oil, of each two ounces ; simmer all 
together in a water bath or oven — stir till cold. Very useful after bums, scalds, etc. 

Healing Softening Salv-e. — Linseed, or olive oil, four ounces; white wax, two 
ounces ; spermaceti, one ounce ; balsam of fir, half an ounce — melt together, and 
stir till cold. Useful for sore nipples, chapped hands or face, to anoint with. 

Healing Drawing Plaster. — Mutton suet, clarified, four ounces ; white resin, 
brown sugar, and brown soap, of each half an ounce — simmer altogether — strain, 
and stir till cold. Is a useful dressing for sore legs, sluggish ulcers, etc. Wash 
over with tincture of myrrh, and dress with this twice a day. Is said to have 
worked wonders. 

Hemlock Tree.— The bark is used. It is called the pinus canaclienses. It is an 
astringent stimulant. An essential oil is extracted from it which is used in com- 
binations to rub with in rheumatisms, etc., etc. 

Hepatic, or Liver Pills. — I. Extract of dandelion, four drachms ; socotrine 
aloes and best flour of mustard, two drachms ; cayenne, one drachm ; mucilage 
of gum arabic, Q. S. — mix 135 pills. II. Blood root, golden seal, and socotrine 
aloes, of each two drachms ; kircuma and mandrake, of each one drachm ; ex- 
tract of dandelion, four drachms; syrup of ginger, Q. S. — mix 180 pills. Either 
of these is useful for chronic affections of the liver, jaundice, etc. Dose : two 
twice or thrice a day. 

Hysteria, Hypochondriac, or Nervine Pills. — I. Assafcetida, half an ounce ; 
powdered valerian, myrrh, and socotrine aloes, of each two drachms ; mucilage of 
gum arabic, Q. S. — mix 150 pills. II. Assafcetida, four drachms; skull cap and 
valerian, of each two drachms ; rhubarb, myrrh, socotrine aloes, and cayenne, of 
each one drachm ; syrup of rhubarb, Q. S. — mix 195 pills. These are good for all 
nervous and spasmodic diseases, low spirits, and the like. Dose: two night and 
morning 

Indian Pills. — I. Lobelia seed, cayenne, valerian, and extract of dandelion, of 
each four drachms ; slippery elm, two drachms ; mucilage of slippery elm, Q. S. — 
mix 270 pills. Dose : one, two, or three at night, in constrictions, headache, 
fevers, and liver complaints. II. Extract of butternut, powdered rhubarb, and 
golden seal, of each two drachms; lobelia seed, cinnamon, and cayenne, of each 
one drachm ; socotrine aloes, half a drachm ; slippery elm, four drachms ; mucil- 
age of gum arabic, Q. S. — mix 200 pills. Useful purgative. III. Rhubarb and 
socotrine aloes, of each six drachms ; tumeric and ginger, of each four drachms ; 
lobelia herb, one drachm ; cayenne, half a drachm ; syrup of ginger, Q. S. — mix 
320 pills. A purgative. These two latter are useful forms of pills for all biliary 
obstruction, indigestion, flatulency, and most stomach complaints Avhere purgatives 
are needed. Dose : one or two twice a clay until they operate freely. 

Indigestion, Tonic Draught for. — Tansey, wormwood, quassia chips, barber- 
ry bark, sweet flag root, and buchu leaves, of each two drachms ; water, three 
pints, boil down to two — strain, then add cayenne, ten grains ; Spanish juice, 
broken, one ounce — simmer till juice is dissolved— strain — bottle for use. Three 
tablespoonfuls three times a day. 

Inflammation of Eyes, Lotion for. — Green tea, ground ivy, and rasberry 
leaves, of each half an ounce ; water, one and a half pints, boil down to a pint, and 
strain. When cold, add tincture of myrrh, one ounce. Bathe the eyes with this 
three times a day. 

Inflammation of Stomach, Decoction for. — Marsh-mallow root and comfrey 
root, of each one ounce ; raspberry leaves and ginger, of each half an ounce ; water, 
three pints, boil down to a quart, and strain — then add cayenne, one drachm — 
sweeteen to taste. Give a small teacupful frequently to provoke perspiration. 
Take tonics after. 



594 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

Inflammation of Bowels, Decoction for. — Peppermint, yarrow, and queen of 
the meadow, of each one ounce ; camomile and finger, of each half an ounce ; 
water, three pints, boil down to a quart, strain, and whilst hot pour the liquor on to 
composition powder and cinnamon powder, of each two drachms— leave to cool 
and settle. Put oil of peppermint, twenty drops ; essence of camphor, ten drops ; 
and tincture of myrrh, four drachms — when oil is dissolved mix with the liquor — 
bottle for use. Dose : two to four tablespoonfuls half-hourly till perspiration is 
produced. 

Inflammation of Kidneys, Decoction for. — Dwarf elder, juniper berries, yar- 
row, buchu leaves, and golden rod, of each one ounce ; water, two quarts, boil 
down to three pints— strain. Pour it on to diuretic powder, half an ounce ; cay- 
enne, five grains — sweeten. Take three or four tablespoonfuls till perspiration is 
excited freely. 

Inflammation of Liver, Acute, Decoction for. — Meadow sweet, yarrow, and 
summer savory, of each one ounce ; water, three pints, boil twenty minutes, strain. 
Add cayenne, thirty grains. Dose : a wine-glassful every ten minutes till perspi- 
ration is excited. 

Inflammation or Liver (Chronic or Liver Complaint), Decoction for. — 
Barberry bark, agrimony, meadow sweet, buckbean, dwarf elder, and hoarhound, 
of each half an ounce ; water, three pints, boil down to a quart — strain. Put into 
the liquor extract of dandelion, curative powder, kircuma and Spanish juice, 
broken, of each half an ounce — boil five minutes longer, strain, bottle for use. A 
wine-glassful taken four times a day, taking at the same time the liver pills and 
curative powders. 

Inflammation of the Lungs, Decoction for. — Hyssop, summer savory, and 
vervain, of each one ounce ; cough powder, lobelia syrup, and Spanish juice, broken, 
of each half an ounce ; cayenne, thirty grains ; water, three pints — boil the herbs 
till reduced to a quart, then strain. Add the other ingredients, boil five minutes 
longer, strain. A wine-glassful taken every ten minutes till perspiration is excited, 
applying externally a stimulating poultice, or the like. 

Injection Powder. — Bayberry and lobelia herb, of each four ounces ; slippery 
elm and valerian, of each two ounces ; cayenne, one ounce — all finely powdered 
and mixed. To use : two teaspoonfuls infused in six ounces of hot water, injected 
when about blood warm. A stimulant enema. 

Itch, Wash for. — Tincture of myrrh and tincture of lobelia, of each eight 
ounces ; spirit of turpentine, four ounces — mix. Apply all over the body night and 
morning. 

Jaundice, Decoction for. — Barberry bark and dandelion roots, of each one 
ounce ; kircuma root, centuaiy, gentian, and dwarf elder, of each half an ounce — 
boil roots and bark in two quarts of water, down to three pints ; then add herbs — 
boil ten minutes longer, strain, and pour whilst hot upon golden seal, powdered, 
half an ounce ; cayenne, one drachm ; Spanish juice, broken, one ounce, when 
juice is dissolved, bottle for use. Dose: four to six tablespoonfuls three times a 
day, with liver pills. 

Liniment for Gathered Breasts. — Linseed oil, eight ounces ; olive oil, two 
ounces ; camphor, half an ounce ; dissolve camphor with olive oil, then mix with 
the other oil. Apply on a cloth, frequently wetting it with the oil. 

Liniment of Camphor. — Olive oil, eight ounces ; ripe onions, sliced, half an 
ounce, simmer oil and onions together five minutes, strain, and add camphor, two 
ounces, rub till dissolved. Is very useful to rub the throat with in quinsies, and 
applied to scrofulous swellings and tumors. 

Liniment for Cramp, etc — Whiskey or rum, eight ounces ; cayenne, half an 
ounce ; heat spirit, then pour on the cayenne. Cloths dipped in this applied to the 
affected part, as on the body in cholera cases, will speedily give ease. 

Liniment of Hartshorn. — Spirit of hartshorn, two ounces ; sweet oil, eight 
ounces ; cayenne, one drachm — mix, cork up, and shake daily for a week. Useful 
for sprains, bruises, etc. 



BOTANICAL MEDICAL PRACTICE. 595 

Liniment, Stimulating.— Oil of hemlock, oil of cedar, and oil of mint, of each 
one ounce ; spasmodic tincture, one pint, mix. Useful for all pains without in- 
flammation, paralysis, etc. 

Lobelia, Acid Tincture of. — Lobelia seed, powdered, four drachms; lobelia 
herb, powdered, one and a half ounces ; cayenne, thirty grains ; best vinegar, one 
pint, boil the vinegar, gradually rub in with powders, bottle, shake up daily for a 
week, then strain for use. Is emetic in teaspoonful doses, in pennyroyal tea every 
twenty minutes till it operates. Useful for asthma, etc.. in ten to twenty drops doses 
every two or three hours. 

Lobelia, Pills of. — Extract of lobelia, lobelia herb, powdered, and liquorice 
powder, of each, four drachms ; cayenne, two drachms ; mucilage of gum arabic, 
Q. S. — mix 420 pills. Dose : one to three three times a day in asthma, etc. 

Menstruation, Retained, Obstructed, or Suppressed, Decoction for. — 
Germander, mugwort, southernwood, pennyroyal, feverfew, tansey, blessed thistle, 
and female corrective powder, of each half an ounce; water, two quarts, boil 
down to three pints, strain and press off"; then add Spanish juice, broken, one 
ounce, stir till dissolved, then add essence of pennyroyal, one drachm. Three 
tablespoonfuls to be taken four times a day with the female corrective at the same 
time. 

Palpitation of the Heart, Decoction for. — Black hoarhound, motherwort, 
rue, blessed thistle, and mugwort, of each one ounce ; water, two quarts, boil down 
to three pints — strain, and add whilst the liquor is hot, skullcap and spasmodic 
powder, of each two drachms — mix well together. Take three tablespoonfuls four 
times a day, taking the nervine pills. 

Piles, Decoction for — Marsh-mallow root, bistort root, comfrey root, white pop- 
lar bark, crane's bill, and yarrow, of each one ounce ; cloves and cinnamon, of each 
two drachms ; water, two quarts — bruise the roots and boil in the water twenty 
minutes, then add the herbs, cloves, and cinnamon — boil ten minutes longer, strain. 
Sweeten with sugar. Take a wine-glassful four times a day, using one of these 
ointments. 

Piles, Ointments for. — I. Hemlock bark, finely powdered, one ounce ; fresh 
lard, six ounces, mix well. Apply to the part. II. Yarrow flowers and raspberry 
leaves, of each one ounce ; hemlock bark, two drachms ; lard, half a pound, simmer 
together half an hour, strain and press off* and stir until cold. Very useful ap- 
plied to the piles three or four times a day. 

Pluerisy Root or Butterfly Weed. — The root is used. It is diaphoretic, 
expectorant, and anti-spasmodic, and is therefore useful in coughs, pleurisy, colic, 
flatulence, and to promote perspiration. It may be given in decoction, or powder, 
a teaspoonful at a dose, in some warming herb tea every two hours, till relief is 
got. 

Poplar. — The bark of this well-known tree, especially the tremulous kind, con- 
tains many valuable properties similiar to Peruvian bark and willow bark, and may 
be given in similiar forms and for similiar purposes as Peruvian bark, but in rather 
larger doses. Its qualities are bitter, diuretic, astringent, tonic, and slightly stimu- 
lant. 

Poultice for External Inflammations. — Ripe onions, boiled to pulp, one 
pound ; bran, Q. S. for a poultice— pour the onions and liquor they have been 
boiled in on to the bran whilst hot. Mix well and apply. A very useful poultice. 

Poultice, Stimulating, for Internal Inflammations. — Mustard flower and 
ginger, powdered, of each four drachms ; cayenne, two drachms ; oatmeal, two 
ounces — mix till dry ; then add boiling vinegar, Q. S. for a poultice. Apply to 
the part from ten to thirty minutes, dress after with pure lard or simple ointment. 

Poultice for Soothing and Softening. — Slippery elm bark, powdered, one 
ounce; marsh-mallow leaves, cut into pieces, one ounce; linseed meal, Q. S. for a 
poultice. Boil the leaves in water, mix in the powder and meal, grease with lard 
and apply. Useful for scrofulous swellings, gathered breasts, and hard inflamma- 
tory swellings. 



596 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

Prickly Ash, Toothache Bush, or Yellow Wood. — The bark and seed vessels 
are used. They are diaphoretic and stimulant, used in rheumatic fever and ague. 
It is given in the form of powder in ten to twenty grain doses every three or four 
hours Also, in form of decoction thus made : bark of prickly ash, bruised, one 
ounce ; water, two points — boil twenty minutes and strain. Dose, warm : one to 
two teacupfuls every four hours. 

Queen of the Meadow, or Gravel Root. — The root of this plant is used. It 
is a powerful diuretic, useful in all obstructions of the urinary organs. Used in 
strong decoction, drunk freely. 

Quinsy, or Inflammatory Sore-throat, Decoction for. — Raspberry leaves, 
hyssop, red sage, summer savory, hoarhound, and ground ivy, of each half an 
ounce ; water, three pints — boil twenty minutes, strain whilst hot on to ten grains 
of cayenne ; Avhen cold add tincture of myrrh and acid tincture of lobelia, of each 
half an ounce. Dose : three or four tablespoonfuls every hour, fomenting and 
gargling, till relief is got. 

Red Raspberry.— The leaves of this well-known fruit possess valuable astrin- 
gent properties, useful in bowel complaints ; also a wash for sore nipples. Used 
in strong infusion and drunk freely. The fruit made into raspberry vinegar forms, 
with water, a pleasant, cooling drink in fevers, and is anti-scorbutic. 

Rheumatic, Liniment for.— Cayenne, two drachms; bay salt, one ounce; best 
vinegar, one pint — boil the vinegar, pour on the cayenne and salt, shake together, 
leave to cool. Dissolve one drachm of oil of organum in one ounce of tincture of 
myrrh — put in the vinegar, etc., when cold. Useful stimulant to rub with in rheu- 
matism, palsy, tic doloreux, etc. To be rubbed with or applied on a cloth. 

Scrofula or Scurvy, Purifying Powder for. — Sarsaparilla, powdered, and 
wintergreen, powdered, of each four ounces ; dock root, powdered, dandelion 
root, powdered, sassafras root bark, powdered, uva ursa, and ginger, of each 
two ounces ; cloves, one ounce— all to be finely powdered, sifted, and mixed. 
A teaspoonful taken three times a day in fumitory or dandelion tea. Is excellent 
in all skin diseases and as a purifier of the blood. 

Scrofula or Scurvy, Purifying Decoction for. — Yellow dock root, dande- 
lion root, sarsaparilla, and winter green, of each two ounces ; blue cohosh, one 
ounce; water, four pints, boil down to three pints — strain; when cold add Hol- 
land gin, one pint. Dose : a wine-glassful to be taken once a day as a gentle 
purifier. 

Scrofula or Scurvy, Alterative Purifying Powder for.— Sarsaparilla and 
ginger, of each one ounce ; rhubarb, burdock, wintergreen, and dandelion root, of 
each half an ounce — powder all well, and mix. 

Scrofula or Scurvy, Purifying Poavder for. — Sassafras bark, rhubarb, com- 
frey root, and dock root, of each one ounce ; sarsaparilla and cubebs, of each half 
an ounce ; cayenne tAvo drachms — all finely powdered, sifted and mixed. Dose : 
a tablespoonful in about three-quarters of a pint of boiling Avater. Sweeten to 
taste and take a teacupful occasionally in all skin diseases, gonorrhoea gleets, etc., 
etc 

Scrofula, or Anti-venereal Poavder. — Diuretic poAvder, four ounces ; cubebs, 
sassafras root and mandrake, of each two ounces; gum guiacum, prickly ash, and 
sarsaparilla, of each one ounce ; lobelia herb and gum kino, of each four drachms, 
powder all and mix, then drop in ten drops each of oil of juniper, oil of rosemary, 
and balsam of copaiba — rub till Avell mixed. Dose : a teaspoonful three or four 
times a day in a little water. Useful in skin diseases, gleets, gonorrhoea, and most 
Venereal cases. 

Scrofula, Scurvy, or Anti-venereal Pills — Blue flag root, one ounce; 
lobelia seed, four drachms ; mandrake, mezerlon root, and cayenne, of each tAvo 
drachms ; water, one and a half pints — boil on a slow fire doAvn to a pint — strain 
off and express the juice, evaporate slowly to proper consistence for pills, then mix 
in extract of sarsaparilla, four drachms ; add tincture of myrrh and liquorice 
powder, Q. S. for pills — one drachm must be divided into twelve pills. Dose ; one 



BOTANICAL MEDICAL PRACTICE. 597 

three times a day is useful in all impurities of the blood and fluids ; also in all ven- 
ereal affections. 

Scrofula, Scurvy, and Anti-venereal Syrup. — Sarsaparilla, four ounces ; 
guiacum chips, three ounces ; blue flag root, liquorice, and dog mercury, of each 
one ounce ; prickly ash bark, four drachms ; water, three pints, boil down to two 
pints — strain off and express, then add loaf sugar, two pounds, simmer and skim — 
when cold pour off the clear syrup. Dissolve oil of sassafras, two drachms, in one 
ounce of tincture of myrrh and add to the syrup. Three tablespoonfuls taken with 
the preceding pills is excellent in all impurities of the blood, skin diseases, venereal 
affections, etc. 

Scrofula, Scurvy, and Anti-venereal Oinment. — Lard, one pound; mutton 
suet, four ounces ; mandrake root, bruised, two ounces mezerion bark, one ounce 
blood root, powdered, and prickly ash, bruised, of each two drachms ; lobelia seed, 
one drachm — simmer all together on a slow fire for an hour — then strain and 
press off. A useful ointment for all venereal sores, chancres, etc., as well as 
scurvy sores. 

Skullcap, Hoodwort, or Blue Pimpernell. — This herb is a tonic, anti-spas- 
modic, and nervine. Useful in all neiwous affections. The warm effusions may 
be drunk freely, or a heaped teaspoonful of the powdered leaves, with as much 
sugar, put into a teacupful of boiling water and taken for dose. Repeated three 
or four times a day as may be needed. 

Skunk Cabbage. — Dracontium, narcotic, stimulant, anti-spasmodic and expec- 
torant Useful in chronic, rheumatism, asthma, chronic catarrh, whooping cough, 
hysteria, and dropsy. In large doses it causes vomiting, vertigo, and dimness of 
sight. Dose of the powders 5 to 15 grains, of the fluid extract 20 to 60 drops. 

Slippery Elm. — The bark of this tree is very useful as a softening demulcent in 
coughs, bowel complaints, strangury, sore throats, etc. It may be taken in infu- 
sion, and externally is used in poultices for cleansing and healing foul sores. 

Soap Wort, or Bouncing Root. — A decoction of this herb, prepared similarly 
to sarsaparilla, is said to be equal to that as a purifier of the blood, therefore use- 
ful in similar cases, skin diseases, jaundice, visceral obstructions, gout, rheuma- 
tism, syphilis, etc. The whole plant, root and all, are used. The dose is a wine- 
glassful three times a day, gradually increased until a pint and a half is taken 
during the day. 

Solomon's Seal. Seal Root or Drop Berry. — The root of this plant, bruised, 
is an excellent application to bruises from blows, black eyes, etc. The leaves dried 
and powdered possess astringent and anti-dysenteric properties ; and beaten into a 
conserve whilst green, with sugar, is useful for whites, gleets, etc. The seeds are 
purgative and emetic, in doses of from twelve to fourteen grains. Whilst the leaves 
in small doses are astringent, in larger ones, such as half a drachm of the powder, 
they operate as a purgative. 

Spasmodic Powder. — Stomach bitters, two ounces ; valerian root, powdered, 
one ounce ; skullcap and burdock seeds, powdered, of each four drachms ; lobelia 
herb, cinnamon, powdered, and cayenne, of each two drachms — sift and mix well 
together. Thirty grains may be taken every two hours in hot mint, pennyroyal, or 
yarrow tea, in cramps, spasms, convulsions, or the like. 

Spiced Bitters. — I. Poplar bark, six ounces ; prickly ash bark, three ounces ; 
balmony, golden seal, ginger, and cloves, of each two ounces ; cayenne, one and 
a half ounces ; cinnamon, one ounce ; fine sugar, one pound— powder all and mix ; 
or— II. Poplar bark, golden seal, and ginger, of each one ounce ; balmony, cloves, 
and prickly ash, of each four drachms ; cinnamon, two drachms ; Turkey rhubarb 
and cayenne, of each one drachm ; fine sugar, three ounces — powder all, sift, and 
mix well. A tonic stomachic useful in indigestion, loss of apetite. colic, jaun- 
dice, and general debilit} r . Dose : a teaspoonful of the powder three times a day 
an hour before meals, taken either dry and washed down with cold water, or in 
half a teacupful of warm water. 

Spitting of Blood, Pills for. — Extract of henbane, two drachms ; powdered 



598 OUR FAMILY DOCTOR. 

foxglove and powdered opium, of each one scruple — mix, divide into 40 pills. 
After opening the bowels take two of these pills at bed time, washing down with 
infusion of bramble leaves or roots, acidified with elixir of vitriol and sweetened, 
or with infusion of roses. 

Stomach Bitters. — I. Cayenne and golden seal, of each one ounce ; salaratus, 
two drachms —mix in powder half a teaspoonful in half a teacupful of hot water, 
about fifteen minutes after eating. Useful in pain of stomach caused by eating. 
II. Balmony, one ounce ; white poplar bark, bay berry, and ginger, of each one 
and a half ounces ; cinnamon, half an ounce ; cayenne, two daachms — powder and 
mix a teaspoonful as last for indigestion. III. Poplar bark, five ounces; golden 
seal and barberry, of each two ounces ; ginger, one and a half ounces ; prickly 
ash, four drachms ; balmony, two drachms ; cloves, six drachms ; cayenne, three 
drachms — mix well. Dose : as the preceding, and for similar purposes. 

Strengthening Plaster.— Rosin, one pound; beeswax and mutton suet, of 
each one and a half ounces ; camphor, half an ounce ; brandy, two ounces ; oil of 
hemlock, two drachms — melt wax and tallow, then add camphor — stir till dissolved, 
then add oil of hemlock, last the brandy gradually. Useful for pains in back, 
sides, etc. ; also for rheumatism or weakness or pain in any part where it can be 
applied ; also for old sores, ulcers, etc. 

Sudorific Powders.— Lobelia herb, skunk cabbage, pleurisy root, and crawley 
root, of each one ounce. Dose : fifteen to twenty grains every hour in some warm- 
ing tea till perspiration is induced. Is useful in all cases of fevers, and coughs, 
colds, etc. 

Tincture of Balsam of Canada. — Balsam of fir, one ounce ; gum arabic, 
powdered, half an ounce — rub up with spirit, gradually till dissolved — bottle for 
use. Dose : a teaspoonful two or three times a day in cubeb tea. Is very useful 
for gleets, whites, gravel, and most bladder affections. 

Tincture of Burdock, etc., Compound. — Burdock seed, powdered, lobelia 
seed, powdered, skullcap and myrrh, of each, two ounces ; cayenne, four drachms ; 
prickly ash bark, two drachms ; spirit of wine, one quart — infuse seven days, 
strain. Dose : from ten drops to two drachms twice or thrice a day, in hot water, 
as a nervme, in all hysterical affections, delirium tremens, spasms, lockjaw, etc. 

Tincture of Ginger Compound. — Ginger, sliced and bruised, two ounces ; 
aniseed, powdered, one ounce ; cloves, powdered, four drachms ; spirit of wine, 
one pint — infuse seven days, shaking daily, then strain. Useful carminative stom- 
achic in wind and pain of stomach, colic, etc., in one to four teaspoonful doses, in 
water. 

Tincture of Guiacum and Sassafras. — Gum guiacum, powdered, two ounces; 
sassafras root bark, powdered, one ounce ; spirit of wine, one pint — infuse fourteen 
days, strain. A useful purifier in skin diseases, scrofula, scurvy, syphilis, and in 
rheumatic cases Dose : one to four teaspoonfuls in water, or with other ingredients. 

Unicorn Root, or Devil's Bit. — The powdered root of this plant is a useful 
tonic stimulant, given in fevers, in thirty to sixty grain doses. 

"White Pond Lily, or Cow Cabbage. — The root of this plant is a mild astrin- 
gent. Useful in diarrhoea, dysentery, etc , in teaspoonful doses, and taken in warm 
water, sweetened. 

Wine Bitters — Poplar bark, one pound ; balmony and golden seal, of each 
four ounces ; unicorn, three ounces ; cayenne, one ounce ; water, ten pints, boil 
down to eight pints — strain — add sugar, five pounds ; boil again five minutes. 
Infuse in three gallons of Malaga or sherry wine, three ounces of prickly ash ber- 
ries, and four ounces of powdered cinnamon, for three days in a close vessel — strain 
off and add to the above decoction — bottle for use. A wine-glassful three times 
a day is useful in general debility, indigestion, loss of appetite, etc. 

Worm Syrup. — Butternut bark and bitter root, of each four ounces ; sage, myrrh 
and poplar bark, of each two ounces ; water, one gallon, boil down to half — strain, 
add fine sugar, three pounds, and half a pint of Holland gin. Dose : four tea- 
spoonfuls every hour till it acts freely on the bowels. 




1879. 



1879. 



NEW BOOKS 

AND NEW EDITIONS, 

RECENTLY ISSUED BY 

G. W. Carleton & Co., Publishers, 

Madison Square, New York. 

o 

The Publishers, on receipt of price, will send any book on this Catalogue by ma.i\,postagefree 

o 

All books [unless otherwise specified] are handsomely bound in cloth, with gilt backs 

suitable for libraries. 



Tempest and Sunshine $i 50 

English Orphans 1 50 

Homestead on the Hillside 1 50 

'Lena Rivers 1 50 

Meadow Brook 1 50 

Dora Deane 1 50 

Cousin Maude 1 50 

Marian Grey 1 50 

Edith Lyle 1 50 

Daisy Thornton (New) 1 50 



Mary J. Holmes' Works. 



Darkness and Daylight. 

Hugh Worthington 

Cameron Pride 

Rose Mather 

Ethelyn's Mistake 

Millbank 

Edna Browning 

West Lawn 

Mildred (New).. 



Marion Har land's Works. 



Alone $ 1 50 

Hidden Path 1 50 

Moss Side 1 50 

Nemesis 1 50 

Miriam 1 50 

At Last 1 50 

Helen Gardner 1 50 

True as Steel (New) 1 50 



Sunnybank 

Husbands and Homes. 

Ruby's Husband 

Phemie's Temptation. 

The Empty Heart 

Jessamine 

From My Youth Up 

My Little Love 



Charles Dickens— 15 Vols— " Carleton's Edition.' 



Pickwick, and Catalogue $1 50 

Dombey and Son 1 

Bleak House 1 

Martin Chuzzlewit 1 

Barnaby Rudge — Edwin Drood. 1 
Child's England — Miscellaneous. 1 
Christmas Books — Two Cities... 1 
Oliver Twist — Uncommercial... 1 
Sets of Dickens' Complete Works, in 15 vols. — [elegant half calf bindings]. 
Augusta J. Evans' Novels. 

Beulah $1 75 I St. Elmo 

Macaria 1 75 Vashti 

Inez 1 75 1 Infelice (New). 



David Copperfield 

Nicholas Nickleby 

Little Dorrit 

Our Mutual Friend 

Curiosity Shop — Miscellaneous. 
Sketches by Boz— Hard Times. 
Great Expectations— Italy 



?i 50 

1 50 

1 50 

1 50 

1 50 

1 50 

1 50 

1 So 

$1 5o 

1 SO 

1 50 

1 50 

1 50 

1 50 

1 5° 

50 00 

$2 CO 

2 CO 
2 CO 



G. W. CARLETON & CO: S PUBLICATIONS. 



May Agues 

Guy Earlscourt's Wife $i 50 

A Terrible Secret 1 50 

Norine's Revenge 1 50 

Silent and True 1 50 

Heir of Charlton— (New) 1 50 

M. Michelet's 



Fleming's Novels. 

A Wonderful Woman $1 50 

A Mad Marriage 1 50 

One Night's Mystery 1 50 

Kate Danton ... 150 



Love (L' Amour) — Translation 

Miriam 

Rutledge $1 50 

Frank Warrington 1 50 

Louie's Last Term, etc 1 50 

Richard Vandermarck 1 50 

Italian 

Dr. Antonio — By Ruffini $1 50 

Julie P. 

Widow Goldsmith's Daughter.. $1 

Chris and Otho 1 50 

Ten Old Maids 1 50 

His Young Wife 1 50 

Victor 

Les Miserables— In- English 



"Works. 



50 1 Woman(LaFemme)— Translation^! 50 
Coles Harris. 



■ $i 50 



The Sutherlands $1 

St. Philip's 1 

Round Hearts for Children 1 

A Perfect Adonis — (New) 1 

Novels 

Beatrice Cenci— By Guerrazzi 

Smith's Novels. 

The Widower $1 50 

The Married Belle 1 50 

Courting and Farming 150 

Kiss and be Friends — (New), 1 50 

Hugo. 

Les Miserables — In Spanish $5 00 



The Scalp Hunters $1 

The Rifle Rangers 1 

The War Trail 1 

The Wood Rangers 1 

The Wild Huntress 1 



50 I 
Captain May 11 e Reid. 



50 
50 
5° 
50 
50 



The White Chief $1 50 

The Tiger Hunter 150 

The Hunter's Feast 1 50 

Wild Life 1 50 

Osceola, the Seminole 1 50 

Artemus Ward. 

Complete Comic Writings — with Biography, Portrait, and 50 Illustrations $1 50 

A. S. Roe s Select Stories. 

True to the Last. $1 50 A Long Look Ahead , . . $1 50 

The Star and the Cloud 150 I've Been Thinking 150 

How Could He Help it ? 150 To Love and to be Loved 150 

Charles Dickens . 

Child's History of England — Carleton's New " School Edition" Illustrated.. $1 25 
Mrs. Hill's Cook Book. 

Mrs. A. P. Hill's New Southern Cookery Book, and domestic receipts $2 00 

Hand-Books of Society. 

The Habits af Good Society — The nice points of taste and good manners $1 50 

The Art of Conversation — fi r those who wish to be agreeable talkers 1 50 

The Arts of Writing, Reading, and Speaking — For self-improvement 1 50 

New Diamond Edition — Small size, elegantly bound, 3 volumes in a box 3 00 

Carleton's Popular Quotations. 

Carleton's New Hand-Book — Familiar Quotations, with their authorship $1 50 

Famous Books— "Carleton's Edition." 

Arabian Nights— Illustrations $1 00 j Don Quixote — Dore Illustrations. .$1 00 

Robinson Crusoe — Griset " 1 00 | Swiss Family Robinson " 1 00 

Josh Billings. 
His Complete Writings -With Biography, Steel Portrait, and 100 Illustrations $2 00 

Trump Cards— Illustrated 25 | Farmers' Alminax — Illustrated — 25 

Miscellaneous 



Little Guzzy— Helen's Rabies $1 00 

Once and Forever"— Miss Grant. . . 1 00 
Lady Huckleberry's Opinions . . 
Parlor Amusements — F. Bellew.. . 
Edith Murray — " Bessie Books".. 
Outwitted at Last— S. A. Gardner 

Vesta Vane— By L. King R 

Just Married— By "Tom's Wife"., 



Solomon Isaacs — B. L. Farjeon..$ 50 

He and I— By Sarah B. Stebbins... 50 

Annals of a Baby " ... 5° 

Me — By Mrs. Spencer W. Coe 50 

Comic Primer — By Frank Bellew.. 25 

That Awful Boy 5° 

That Bridget of Ours 50 

Bitterwood— By M. A. Green 1 5° 









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